In the late 1870s, a former congressman named Ignatius Donnelly sat down to write a book about Atlantis. His ideas went on to singlehandedly kickstart the modern obsession with Plato's mythical lost city, and inspired countless other related conspiracy theories. Today, he's regarded as the father of pseudoarchaeology.

With the expert help of fellow history YouTubers ‪@HistorywithCy‬ and ‪@WorldofAntiquity‬, I explore the legend of Atlantis through the lens of Ignatius Donnelly's life and legacy. Though informed more by his own distaste with Gilded Age America than any legitimate archaeological evidence, Donnelly's feverish theories have enjoyed remarkable longevity – in fact, you've probably heard one or two of them on the History Channel.

Be sure to check out these related videos:

"Ancient Aliens! Atlantis! What is Pseudoarchaeology?" by History with Cy:    • Ancient Aliens! Atlantis! What is Pse...  

"The Founder of Modern Alternative Ancient History: Ignatius Donnelly" by World of Antiquity:    • The Founder of Modern Alternative Anc...  

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~REFERENCES~

[1] "Paranormal America 2018: Chapman University Survey of American Fears" (2018). https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2...

[2] Martin Ridge. Ignatius Donnelly: The Portrait of a Politician (1962). University of Chicago Press, Page 2-12

[3] Zac Farber. "Ignatius Donnelly: Paranoid Progressive in the Gilded Age" (2018). Minnesota Lawyer https://minnlawyer.com/2018/05/30/ign...

[4] Ridge, Page 33

[5] Martin Ridge. "Ignatius Donnelly: Minnesota Congressman, 1863-1869" (1959). Minnesota History Magazine https://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistor...

[6] Ridge, Page 67

[7] Humphrey Doermann. "All my Immense Labor for Nothing" (1961). American Heritage Magazine https://www.americanheritage.com/all-...

[8] Edward H. Abrahams. "Ignatius Donnelly and the Apocalyptic Style" (1978). Minnesota History Magazine https://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistor...