In 1678, Titus Oates, an infamous liar and expelled Anglican clergyman, concocted one of the most destructive hoaxes in British history: the Popish Plot. Oates claimed that a secret Jesuit conspiracy was actively plotting to assassinate King Charles II, replace him with his Catholic brother James, and install a Catholic government backed by French forces. Despite his contradictory testimony and lack of evidence, the climate of religious paranoia in 17th-century England caused his allegations to be taken deadly seriously.
Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey, the magistrate who took Oates's deposition, was found murdered shortly after, which ignited widespread panic among the public and Parliament. Oates was hailed as a savior, granted a luxurious pension, and given free rein to accuse anyone he disliked. Over the next three years, the hysteria swept through the legal system, resulting in the wrongful execution of at least 35 innocent people, mostly Catholic priests and nobles.
The panic finally unraveled when Charles II personally cross-examined Oates, exposing glaring inconsistencies in his stories. By 1685, Oates was convicted of perjury, whipped through the streets of London, and imprisoned. Though his lie eventually collapsed, the Popish Plot permanently altered English politics, directly shaping the Exclusion Crisis and the rise of Britain's early political parties.