Conspiracy, Catholicism and the Courts during the Popish Plot Crisis

Conspiracy theories are not new. Following over a century of religious turmoil in England, anti-Catholic sentiments sharpened in the late 17 century with the “discovery” of the fictitious Popish Plot to overthrow the king, Parliament, and the Anglican Church.

While scholars have tended to focus on how Parliamentarians used fears about a Catholic conspiracy to gain political advantage, this lecture will address the neglected question of how conservative judges viewed populism as an equally tyrannical threat to existing power structures.

Sarah Madsen is an MA student in the Department of History at UVic. Her research focuses on Restoration England, conspiracy culture, criminal justice, and religious divisions.

The lecture will be live streamed on Zoom, and be recorded then posted on our YouTube channel on a later date (some exceptions may apply). Please visit our events page for more details.

* Note: by signing up this registration, participants agree to have their images and voice recorded and included in our YouTube archives, which are open to the general public.

I f you have any questions, please email us at csrs@uvic.ca.