<DIV>The roots of coincidence and conspiracy in American politics, crime, and culture are examined in this first volume of a three-part set, exposing new connections between religion, political conspiracy, and occultism. Based on the premise that there is a satanic undercurrent to American affairs, this study examines the sinister forces at work throughout history, from ancient American civilizations and the mysterious mound-builder culture to the Salem witch trials, the birth of Mormonism during a ritual of ceremonial magic by Joseph Smith Jr., and Operations Paperclip and Bluebird. Not a work of speculative history, this exposé is founded on primary source material and historical documents. Fascinating details are revealed, including the bizarre world of "wandering bishops" who appear throughout the Kennedy assassinations; a CIA mind-control program run amok in the United States and Canada; a famous American spiritual leader who had ties to Lee Harvey Oswald in the weeks and months leading up to the assassination of President Kennedy; and the "Manson secret."</DIV>