13 Conspiracy Theories That Were Actually Really True
There’s no shortage of conspiracy theories that don’t contain an ounce of truth. It’s unlikely that lizard people control world governments, that the Air Force is deploying “weather weapons” against U.S. citizens, or high-profile politicians are harvesting baby blood to stay young.
However, some conspiracy theories, as wild as they sound, turned out to be based in fact.
1: Tuskegee Experiment
In 1932, the Tuskegee Institute partnered with the U.S. government to run a fake syphilis treatment program. They promised almost 400 African American men that they were receiving treatment for syphilis.
Instead, they gave them poisonous chemicals and dangerous experimental treatments for forty years despite penicillin being a known cure for the disease.
2: The Deceased Baby Project
After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the U.S. government ran experiments to determine the effect of nuclear fallout on the human body. Conspiracists claimed they were stealing deceased babies to run their tests.
In truth, the project, called “Project Sunshine,” relied on stealing parts of deceased infants and children.
3: MKUltra
It sounds crazy, but the CIA really did pay hospitals, prisons, and universities to participate in their attempts to find a “truth serum.” The MKUltra human experiments involved dosing unwitting citizens with LSD, interrogating them, and occasionally torturing them.
4: Poisoned Alcohol
During prohibition, conspiracists claimed the government was poisoning alcohol to keep people from drinking. This turned out to be true.
The federal government pushed alcohol manufacturers to use stronger poisons during alcohol production in hopes of deterring bootleggers. Instead, it resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 Americans.
5: Nayirah’s Testimony
In 1990, a 15-year-old girl named Nayirah testified in front of Congress that she witnessed Iraqi soldiers removing babies from incubators at a Kuwaiti hospital and leaving them on the floor to pass away.
President George Bush Sr. even used Nayirah’s story to help win favor for the Gulf War. However, the story turned out to be entirely fake.
6: Who’s Really in Charge
During Woodrow Wilson’s presidency, conspiracists claimed the president had suffered a stroke and was no longer running the country.
The theory turned out to be true. Wilson had suffered a debilitating stroke near the end of his presidency, leaving the First Lady, Edith Wilson, to make executive decisions on his behalf.
7: Operation Snow White
In the 1970s, the Church of Scientology, led by Ron L. Hubbard, infiltrated 136 government agencies, including the IRS and DEA, to ensure their church would be protected from paying taxes.
The undercover agents for the church removed files that they considered falsely discredited their organization. They were eventually caught, and several ended up with prison sentences.
8: CIA Agent Dalai Lama
Conspiracists once claimed the Dalai Lama was an agent of the CIA. Though that turned out not to be true, the CIA was paying him a six-figure salary in the 1960s as part of the U.S. government’s funding of the Tibetan Resistance.
9: CIA Assassinations
Many claim the CIA arranges assassinations of high-profile individuals when it suits their needs. An investigation led by Senator Frank Church in 1975 revealed this to be true.
The CIA had created a hitman business and was responsible for many high-profile fatalities, which they’d made look like car accidents, heart attacks, cancer, and more.
10: John Lennon Under Surveillance
At the height of The Beatle’s fame, conspiracists claimed the FBI was keeping tabs on John Lennon. As it turns out, the FBI was watching Lennon because they perceived him as a threat. His anti-war songs led the FBI to push the Immigration and Naturalization Service to try and deport him in 1972.
11: The Government Owns the Media
Conspiracists have long said the government controls the media. While that’s not entirely true, there’s historical evidence that the government has infiltrated the media to push certain messages.
For example, in the 1950s, during “Operation Mockingbird,” Frank Wisner and 3,000 CIA agents infiltrated media companies around the world, including the New York Times, Newsweek, and CBS, to create a propaganda machine.
12: Fascism in America
In 1933, Senator Prescott Bush (President George Bush Sr.’s father) attempted to create a military coup that would push President Franklin Roosevelt out of office and install a fascist government. The plot included many wealthy businessmen and the Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler.
However, Butler was a fan of Roosevelt and gathered evidence of the conspiratorial plot, which he presented to a Congressional Committee.
13: The Government Is Watching You
Modern conspiracists often claim the government is tracking its citizens, and they’re not entirely wrong. In 2023 alone, government agencies sent 73,956 requests for user data from Facebook and over 81,000 requests to Google.
Should We Believe Conspiracies?
Many conspiracy theories sound insane at first. Still, every once in a while, they turn out to be true. This makes many Americans wonder if we shouldn’t give modern conspiracy theories a little more thought.
A Nation Steeped in Conspiracy
In reality, most conspiracy theories turn out to be false. America’s history is littered with conspiracies that were complete fictions, from the Salem Witch Trials to modern-day stories about Pizzagate.
While many of these conspiracy theories had real consequences, they weren’t based on truth.
The Illuminati
One of the oldest conspiracy theories in the U.S. revolved around the Illuminati, a secret society formed in Europe in the 1700s. Though the Illuminati never had an actual U.S. presence, conspiracists in the 1800s claimed the group was secretly infiltrating the government in order to outlaw Christianity and promote devil worship.
Freemasons
Once rumors of the Illuminati began to dissolve, conspiracy-minded individuals turned their attention to the Freemasons. The Freemasons are a real fraternal organization that included George Washington, among other influential figures. However, in the 1800s, many believed the Freemasons were set on world domination and the promotion of satanic worship, which isn’t true.
Stems From Distrust
Though conspiracy theories differ in their details, they often stem from the same place. When people feel like they can’t trust their government, feel uneasy about rapid changes in the world, or are dealing with economic instability, they’re more likely to turn to conspiracies to help them make sense of it all.
Nothing New
Conspiracies may feel more prevalent today, but that’s not true. Conspiracies are nothing new, and they aren’t unique to the U.S. Researchers know that conspiracies have thrived in times of uncertainty as far back as ancient Rome.
More Viable and Shareable
However, we might have greater exposure to conspiracy theories now than ever before. The internet makes conspiracies easier to share, and they may spread through populations faster than they could have in the past.
Can’t Tell
It’s also harder for the public to discern truth from fiction. As AI use becomes more popular, it can be hard to tell if footage that proves or disproves a conspiracy is real or fake.
The End of a Healthy Democracy
Healthy democracies require the trust of their citizens. Some feel that the prevalence of modern conspiracy theories is degrading that trust. Research shows that trust in things like fair elections and accurate vote counts is currently low.
Able To Weather the Storm
The U.S. has been in uncertain times before. After the Revolutionary War, when the country was new, conspiracy theories flourished. This was also the case in the 1960s and is arguably happening today. However, the fact that our country still stands shows we’re capable of (mostly) rebuilding trust.
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19 Historical U.S. Myths That Annoy History Buffs to the Core
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