The
Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by
Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of
England and
Scotland in
anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate
Charles II, accusations that led to the executions of at least 22 men and precipitated the
Exclusion Bill Crisis. Eventually Oates' intricate web of accusations fell apart, leading to his arrest and conviction for
perjury.