The history of secret societies and magical organizations stretches back to antiquity, but some of the more modern perceptions of these groups have their roots in the late eighteenth century, a time of social upheaval in several nascent and established nations. At the time, such organizations were believed to hold great power in society and were even blamed for the turbulence that swept through the world.[1] In spite of this distrust of secret societies (or perhaps because of their perceived far-reaching power), their numbers expanded in this same time period. The Order of the Illuminati was founded in 1776, the same year as the Declaration of Independence. The founder, Adam Weishaupt, a Bavarian professor, hoped that "by attracting prominent members," the organization could "obtain important positions in society an...

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