In the current age of information, it’s still so unbelievable that folks come up with the craziest theories and run with them. Whether they’re true or not, conspiracy theories like the alleged UFO found in New Mexico and FEMA detainment camps have shaped the world we live in today.
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As the country continues to deal with the fallout of the infamous Jeffrey Epstein files and the ongoing war in Iran, The Root is taking a closer look at some of the most polarizing conspiracy theories in American history.
UFO Found in New Mexico
In 1947, something mysterious happened in Roswell, N.M., when a large object crashed outside of a small ranch in the area, but this is where many have different theories about what exactly landed. According to conspiracy theorists, it was a UFO (Unidentified flying object) becoming the first public sign that aliens do exist. The U.S. government, however, initially insisted it was some type of flying saucer. Then, they quickly changed to telling the world it was actually a weather balloon,” BBC reported.
Tupac Is Alive
In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and killed during a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas… or at least that’s what most people believe. There is, however, a not-so-small group of folks around the world who believe the “California Love” rapper is still alive, just in hiding. According to many Reddit threads and rumors online, Shakur is allegedly living in Cuba or somewhere in Mexico. Meanwhile, the man charged with his murder, Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis, is currently in prison.
Flat Earth Theory
Despite countless studies, expert testimony and physics, there are too many people on Earth who believe in the flat-Earth conspiracy. As the name suggests, some folks claim we live on a flat plane covered by a spherical dome, according to CNN. These people deny scientific discovery and most don’t believe we ever went to the moon (but we’ll get into that later). There are flat Earth conventions and meetings going down annually around the world. Even some celebrities with influence claim the earth is not a sphere. B.o.B and Kyrie Irving are just a couple on that pretty short list, PEOPLE reported.
AIDS in Black Community
It’s no secret many Black Americans believe the government targets urban communities for medical experiments. But since the rise of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, theories that the government was responsible for the rise in the virus remain prevalent. A 1999 study conducted by Dr. Elizabeth A. Klonoff and Dr. Hope Landrine found 27 percent of Black people in California believe that “HIV/AIDS is a man-made virus that the federal government made to kill and wipe out black people,” a door-to-door survey found. Another 23 percent were unsure.
Government Spying on Americans
One widely accepted conspiracy theory is that the government is secretly spying on us for nefarious reasons. From theories that birds were manufactured by the government to monitor civilians from the sky, all the way to technological features like “Siri” and “Hey Google,” which collect data to sell to the highest bidder, there’s no shortage of hypotheses on why this could be happening. In 2013, former National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence contractor Edward Snowden leaked information exposing the existence of global surveillance programs.
Obama Was NOT the First Black President
Black Americans celebrated when former President Barack Obama won his first term in 2008, making him the first Black president in history… But, many folks believe Obama was only the first visibly Black leader of the first world. Theories that Abraham Lincoln and Warren Harding– the 29th president– had Black blood remain popular among a small group of theorists, according to NPR, although there is no proof to back up this claim.
FEMA Camps
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has been an important entity helping communities across the nation recover from natural disasters. After events like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Hurricane Helene in Florida, many expressed suspicions on whether FEMA is secretly kidnapping people and sending them to detainment camps.
Of course, no evidence supports this conspiracy, but that hasn’t stopped folks from believing it. “‘FEMA camp’ rumors are founded in long-standing conspiracy theories intended to discredit our efforts to help survivors,” the government agency stated, according to NBC News. “FEMA does not round up or detain people, does not enact martial law, does not set up internment camps, and does not secretly operate mining settlements.”
George W. Bush Is Responsible For 9/11
Obviously, this one had to make the list. After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, then-president George W. Bush declared a Global War on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many Americans theorized Bush was actually responsible for the attacks, eventually misleading Americans into getting into war in the Middle East. Terrorist organization Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the 2001 attacks.
COVID-19 Vaccine Microchips
In efforts to combat the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines by Pfizer, Novavax and Moderna were created. Millions of Americans have since received the vaccines, but many refused in fear that they would be injected with microchips. Tech billionaire Bill Gates refuted the claim in 2020… but that didn’t stop folks like Charlamagne Tha God from perpetuating the conspiracy theory. To be clear, there’s no evidence to support the claim that the government was inserting folks with microchips disguised as a vaccine.
Secret Cures for Cancer
According to Worldwide Cancer Research, over 25 percent of Americans believe the government is secretly hiding the cure for cancer. The reason boils down to theories that cancer treatments like chemotherapy are more profitable for the government than the actual cure. There are over 18 million Americans living with a history of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
We Never Went to the Moon
One of the most celebrated moments in American history was when humans walked on the moon in 1969. But many think photos and videos of the moon landing were faked by the government in efforts to compete with the U.S.S.R.– now known as Russia– during the Cold War. Others think the Apollo astronauts could not have survived Earth’s radiation field, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy became the first U.S. president whose murder was captured on camera. But while his killer, a man named Lee Harvey Oswald, acted alone in the 1963 Dallas murder, many believe he didn’t act alone. The FBI determined Oswald acted alone after conducting more than 25,000 interviews.
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
In 1932, nearly 600 Black Americans — 400 of whom were diagnosed with syphilis — were enrolled in a program without their consent. There, the participants were given a placebo treatment for the cure without their knowledge. It wasn’t until 1972 that the public became aware of the inhumane research. The government eventually investigated, and the 40-year program was shut down, according to McGill University.
COINTELPRO
The FBI formed the Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) just one year after the Black Panther Party was established. The goal of the illegal program was to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize” groups thought to threaten the country. This, however, just turned out to be a targeted attack against Black organizations, according to PBS.
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