The ivy-covered walls of America's oldest universities hold more than lecture halls and libraries. They conceal secrets. For centuries, exclusive and clandestine organizations have operated just ...

Chest lid with Masonic painting (c. 1825–45), maker unknown, paint on pine, 22.25 x 37.25 x 2 5/8 inches (photo by José Andrés Ramírez, courtesy of American Folk Art Museum) (click to enlarge) What is ...

Currier & Ives,, “Friendship, Love and Truth” (1874, New York), hand-colored lithograph (courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, all images via University of Texas Press) Almost ...

You may have heard of secret societies—shadowy agents, power brokers, elites operating behind closed doors. But all of them, ...

I reveal 5 ancient secret societies that operated behind the scenes and tried to control the fate of civilizations. From mysterious brotherhoods to powerful alliances, these groups shaped history in ...