Secret Societies

Many historians believe that the last Cathar died in 1321. They had been slaughtered in a decades-long inquisition led b... Read more

In the 1800s, Irish farmers began protesting against greedy landlords and excessive tithes. But before long, these prote... Read more

They were famous in the coal mining region of Pennsylvania. Before the end of the 19th century, twenty of the Molly Magu... Read more

If you enjoy the stories told in Secret Societies, check out this episode from our series Dictators: Now in total power,... Read more

Throughout the history of Islam, schisms led to the formation of different branches or sects. In 1090, after the death o... Read more

If you enjoy the stories told in Secret Societies, check out this episode from our series Dictators: Before he became th... Read more

Since its founding in 1954, the Bilderberg Group, an association made up of the world's richest and most powerful people... Read more

They first appeared in Europe sometime during the 12th century. But unlike other secret societies, the Cathars didn’t ch... Read more

With Hasan-i-Sabbah now dead, the Assassins looked to someone to carry on his legacy. They found it in Rashid al-Din Sin... Read more

In the early 1800s, the Italian Kingdom of Naples fell under the control of a succession of autocratic rulers. Desperate... Read more

Deputy gangs have been embedded in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department since 1971. In the first of our five-part collab... Read more

Before there were the Nazis, the Thule Society sprang up as a secret order dedicated to Aryan superiority. Followers of ... Read more

First founded by a mysterious figure in the 1960s, the O.N.A. has made it their mission to use black magic to create the... Read more

Since they were first founded, the Freemasons' secretive nature gave rise to rumors and conspiracy theories: According t... Read more

Membership in the Order of the Odd Fellows dwindled after the Great Depression, making it hard for the society to keep t... Read more

At the turn of the 20th century, a criminal group began terrorizing New York’s Italian immigrant population. The Black H... Read more

In 1888, three Rosicrucians and Freemasons—William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Wescott, and S.L. Mathers—allegedly foun... Read more

Some of America’s most historical figures, from Samuel Adams to John Hancock to Paul Revere, were members of the Sons of... Read more

In 1765, nine middle-class businessmen began meeting under Boston’s Liberty Tree. Over time, merchants, artisans, shopke... Read more

He inspired the Beatles, sacrificed goats, and faked his own death. Aleister Crowley is one of the most controversial fi... Read more