In today’s political climate, conspiracy theories are commonplace, but they’re nothing new. In fact, back in the 1960s, there was one organization that built a movement around them.

The John Birch Society was started by a small group of wealthy businessmen including Robert Welch and Fred Koch. It expanded, with chapters of like-minded Americans meeting in private living rooms and finished basements across the country. They were fueled by conspiracy theories that caused a schism in presidential politics. While the John Birch Society’s influence has waned, its impact is still felt today.

The voices in this story include Catherine Siegel, Charlotte Meehan, G. Edward Griffin and Matthew Dallek, author of Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right. Archival materials from Brown University and Emory University. Support for this story comes from the National Endowment for the Humanities.