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Timeline and History

Since 1958, staff and members of The John Birch Society have been busy recruiting and providing leadership to an educational army, which has created an informed electorate to enforce the Constitution and secure our rights.

Consider just the past 10 years. The JBS has played a leading role in securing our God-given rights by bogging down Deep State initiatives to rewrite our Constitution, nationalize our local police, build a North American Union, and establish a UN-led one-world government.

June 2020

JBS Exposes QAnon

JBS Exposes QAnon

The June 8, 2020 issue of The New American magazine published the article “Questioning QAnon,” exposing Q as false and a neutralizer of patriotic Americans. Since then, TNA and The John Birch Society both produced videos calling out QAnon as a pysop, deliberate disinformation, and a tangent. At the time, this was an unpopular position for JBS and TNA to take, but once again, we have been solidly proven correct.

March 2020

JBS Launches “Freedom is the Cure” in response to COVID-19 Government Overreach

JBS Launches “Freedom is the Cure” in response to COVID-19 Government Overreach

In response to the unconstitutional overreaches by local, state, and the federal government (such as lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, “social distancing” guidelines, and mandatory mask wearing orders) purportedly to stop the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), The John Birch Society officially launched it’s “Countering COVID-19 Overreach” action project with the motto “Freedom is the Cure” to educate and warn the electorate at-large about what’s behind the pandemic and to stop any unconstitutional usurpations of individual freedom.

October 2018

JBS 60th Anniversary

JBS 60th Anniversary

For the Society’s 60th anniversary, a celebration was again held in Appleton, Wisconsin, and was attended by JBS employees, leaders, and members from all over the country. The keynote speaker was U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), whose remarks centered around “Exposing the Swamp.”

March 2016

LECF Founded

LECF Founded

The Law Enforcement Charitable Foundation (LECF) was founded as a 501 (c) (3) foundation in March 2016, and approved on February 3, 2017, to provide financial and other support tools to law enforcement and to the families of fallen officers.

September 2015

TNA 30th Anniversary

TNA 30th Anniversary

September 30, 2015 marked the 30th anniversary of The New American magazine.

August 2013

JBS Opposes the “Convention of States” Project

JBS ramps up its effort to defend the U.S. Constitution from alterations and a potential runaway convention by opposing the then-newly formed pro-Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) organization “Convention of States” (COS) Project, founded by Mark Meckler. Meckler, along with Leftist Con-Con advocate Professor Lawrence Lessig, had previously co-hosted the Constitutional Convention Conference (ConConCon) at Harvard Law School in September 2011.

June 2012

Agenda 21 Exposed

Agenda 21 Exposed

JBS produces its first version of the documentary “Agenda 21: How Will It Affect You?” exposing the United Nations’ insidious Agenda 21 scheme. Click HERE to watch the film.

August 2011

FreedomProject Academy Launches

FreedomProject Academy Launches

AOF officially launches Freedom Project Education (now FreedomProject Academy) as a fully accredited, classical, and conservative-minded education, across multiple platforms for K-12 students, beginning in the Fall with the 2011-12 academic school year.

July 2011

Stop Agenda 21 / 2030 Action Project Launches

Stop Agenda 21 / 2030 Action Project Launches

JBS launches its “Choose Freedom- Stop Agenda 21” (now “Stop Agenda 21/2030”) action project to expose the United Nations’ “environmental” globalist scheme for one-world government and onerous controls over people’s lives under the banner of “sustainable development.”

October 2008

JBS 50th Anniversary

JBS 50th Anniversary

For the Society’s 50th anniversary, a celebration was held in Appleton, Wisconsin, and was attended by JBS employees, leaders, and members from all over the country. The keynote speaker was U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas). Dr. Paul recognized the late Congressman Larry McDonald as a “dear friend” and “great American.”

December 2005

American Opinion Foundation

American Opinion Foundation

American Opinion Foundation (AOF) is created by The John Birch Society as a non-profit organization dedicated to creating awareness about the documents and traditions that have distinguished the United States and its constitutional system of government, and the need to sustain what the Founding Fathers left to future generations.

October 2005

Bush Attempts to Create ‘North American Union’

The New American breaks story of President George W. Bush’s attempt to create a “North American Union” (NAU) in the October 3rd article entitled “Abolishing the USA.” JBS responds by launching its “Stop the North American Union” action project, which successfully stopped President Bush’s so-called “Security and Prosperity Partnership” (SPP).

February 2004

Activate Congress: Stop the FTAA

Activate Congress: Stop the FTAA

JBS launches Activate Congress: Stop the FTAA, an ultimately successful action project to stop U.S. efforts at establishing the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. The FTAA would have established an EU-style structure in the

February 2003

JBS Gets Credit

JBS Gets Credit

Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, credits JBS for lack of UN support in the U.S.

October 1999

thenewamerican.com

thenewamerican.com

The New American website is launched (www.thenewamerican.com).

October 1998

TNA Covers Osama Threat

TNA Covers Osama Threat

The October 12, 1998 issue of The New American highlights the threat from Osama bin Laden, in a cover story, three years before the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

September 1998

Y2K Non-Catastrophic Event

Y2K Non-Catastrophic Event

The New American accurately predicts Y2K being a non-catastrophic event in the September 14, 1998 issue.

June 1997

Vote to repeal the United Nations Participation Act

Vote to repeal the United Nations Participation Act

The House of Representatives voted on an amendment to a bill, introduced by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) calling for the repeal of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945. Fifty-four House representatives voted in favor of the measure. Even though the measure did not pass, the numbers were a solid indicator of the accelerated support for the United States immediate withdrawal from the UN.

April 1997

JBS.org Website Launched

JBS.org Website Launched

The John Birch Society first launches its website JBS.org in 1997.

October 1995

Conference of the States’ Amendments Convention Derailed

The John Birch Society derailed the Conference of the States efforts for a stealth constitutional convention at the Federalism Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, in which organizers had hoped to send delegates from all 50 states to Philadelphia to adopt a series of constitutional amendments, take them back to the states for approval on a piece of paper called a “states’ petition,” and then send them to Congress with demands that Congress should, at that point, proceed with the ratification process established in Article V. After exposing this plot various state legislators thanked The John Birch Society.

July 1992

Warning About Agenda 21

Warning About Agenda 21

Following the “Earth Summit” held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, The New American warned about Agenda 21 in the July 13, 1992 issue of The New American magazine. Click HERE to read the cover story.

May 1989

Headquarters Moved

Headquarters Moved

After a meeting of The John Birch Society’s of Board of Directors, on February 4, 1989, in which it was unanimously decided to consolidate The John Birch Society’s office operations in Belmont, Massachusetts, and in San Marino, California, JBS began its move to Appleton, Wisconsin, in May 1989.

February 1987

“Protect the Constitution” – Stop a Constitutional Convention

“Protect the Constitution” – Stop a Constitutional Convention

Initially under the name of “Protect the Constitution,” The John Birch Society officially launched its educational campaign to stop state legislatures from passing Article V application resolutions to Congress for a Federal Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) and to rescind any previously passed convention applications.

June 1986

Immigration Situation

Immigration Situation

Cover story of the June 2, 1986 issue of The New American warned that the immigration situation would get much worse. Later that year Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, giving amnesty

September 1985

The New American Founded

The New American Founded

The New American magazine is founded by combining both the American Opinion monthly and The Review of the News weekly magazines. The New American magazines remains the foremost constitutional conservative news publication (in both print and online) for projecting the lines and exposing the truth.

December 1983

JBS 25th Anniversary

JBS 25th Anniversary

In commemoration of The John Birch Society’s first 25 years a gala celebration was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 9-10, 1983. While this was a moment of celebration for the Society, the organization remained saddened by the loss of its chairman and American patriot Congressman Larry McDonald.

September 1983

Congressman Larry McDonald Killed

Congressman Larry McDonald Killed

On September 1, 1983, Korean Air Lines flight 007 is reportedly shot down by Soviet fighter jets over Sakhalin Island, carrying JBS Chairman and Congressman Larry McDonald on board along with 268 other passengers.

March 1983

New Chairman of JBS

New Chairman of JBS

The Honorable Congressman Lawrence Patton McDonald (D-Ga.) is appointed Chairman of The John Birch Society, succeeding Robert Welch who in turn assumes the position of Chairman Emeritus.

January 1983

H.R. 855 – United Nations Termination Act

On January 25, 1983, Congressman McDonald (D-Ga.) reintroduces the United Nations Termination Act (H.R. 855), calling for the U.S. withdrawal from the UN.

April 1982

LEAA Gets Defunded

Congress voted to defund the LEAA, thus abolishing the program.

August 1978

JBS Starts Drive to End LEAA

JBS Starts Drive to End LEAA

The John Birch Society launches an ultimately successful drive to have Congress abolish the federal Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) which was attempting to nationalize the police.

March 1974

Welch Predicts Insiders’ Plans

Welch Predicts Insiders’ Plans

Robert Welch at the March 9, 1974, JBS Council Dinner in Los Angeles gave amazingly accurate predictions. Click HERE to watch the speech.

November 1971

None Dare Call It Conspiracy

None Dare Call It Conspiracy

Concord Press (JBS) published the first printing of Gary Allen’s None Dare Call It Conspiracy, and eventually over 5 million copies are printed.

December 1970

John Birch Resolutions

The John Birch Resolutions are published in the December 1970 JBS Bulletin, formalizing the Society’s opposition to abortion three years before Roe v Wade.

November 1970

JBS Opposes Abortion

JBS Opposes Abortion

In the November 1970 JBS Bulletin, Robert Welch announces the Society’s opposition to abortion.

August 1970

JBS Youth Camp

The first JBS youth camp is launched in Washington State, in 1970. Youth Camps rose to 11 camps across America until phased out for Freedom Project Education.

November 1966

Civilian Complaint Review Board

New York City voters abolish Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) by a very large margin of 63 to 36 percent.

January 1966

Anarchy USA Film

Anarchy USA Film

Anarchy USA film produced and was shown to millions of people. (How many millions is unknown.) in JBS meetings across the nation. The film has also aired on C-SPAN and can be viewed HERE on The John Birch Society’s YouTube channel.

September 1965

Review of the News

Review of the News

Volume 1, issue number 1 of The Review of the News magazine is published with a cover date of September 3-9, 1965. The Review of the News was a weekly news publication providing news analysis, interviews with members of Congress, and was where the first editions of the “Conservative Index” – the forerunner of the “Freedom Index” were published.

January 1965

Truth About Civil Turmoil

Truth About Civil Turmoil

Truth About Civil Turmoil (TACT) Committees formed to expose the Communist agenda behind much of the radical conflict turbulence.

July 1963

Support Your Local Police

Support Your Local Police

Robert Welch first introduces the “Support Your Local Police” campaign in the July 1963 Bulletin. This is still an active campaign for The John Birch Society so far it has been successful in stopping the formation of a national police force.

June 1963

CA Fact-Finding Committee

CA Fact-Finding Committee

The California State Senate Fact-Finding Committee report vindicates The John Birch Society of anti-Semitism/racism charges.

March 1963

The Politician is Published

The Politician is Published

Originally written as a unpublished, confidential letter distributed to friends in 1958, Robert Welch’s The Politician was first published as a book by the Belmont Publishing Company in March 1963. The Politician was the first book to expose the Deep State.

February 1962

Get US Out! of the UN

Get US Out! of the UN

Get US Out! of the United Nations campaign was first launched. Campaign lowered support for the UN from 80% to 30%. It is still an active campaign today.

July 1961

Communist Smear Tactics Against JBS Exposed

Edward Hunter, an expert on Communist tactics, testified before the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee (SISS) on July 11, 1961. In his testimony, titled “The New Drive Against the Anti-Communist Program,” he outlined the Communists’ smearing of The JBS and other anti-Communist groups. Referring to the December 1960 “Statement of 81 Marxist-Leninist Parties,” he noted that:

For the first time, the world Communist network, in a basic policy and operational document, specifically referred to the anti-Communist movement in the United States, recognizing that it had reached proportions large enough to constitute a main — if not the main — danger to Communist progress in our country, outlining tactics to combat it, so as to regain the virtually unobstructed field it had once occupied in its American operations.

As Hunter’s testimony goes on to suggest that The JBS bore the brunt of these Communist attacks.

February 1961

Attack from Communist Party USA

Attack from Communist Party USA

The first attack on JBS came in the February 25, 1961 issue of the Communist Party USA’s newspaper People’s World, which referred to the society as a new, secret, fascist group setting up “cells” all over

December 1960

Communists Target The JBS

Following a strategy conference — held in Moscow in November 1960 — of 81 communist parties around the world, the “Statement of 81 Marxist-Leninist Parties” was published on December 5, 1960. As noted by Edward Hunter’s July 11, 1961 testimony (“The New Drive Against the Anti-Communist Program”) before the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee (SISS), this document recognized the American anti-Communist movement (including The JBS) as a primary threat to world Communism. Accordingly, it set out a plan to neutralize American anti-Communists. As a result of this, The JBS would sustain heavy smears and attacks from the media for over a decade.

February 1959

First Local Chapters Formed

The first local chapters are formed in the Greater Boston Area in February 1959. The new JBS chapters formed the Committee Against Summit Entanglements (CASE).

December 1958

Robert Welch Founds JBS

Robert Welch Founds JBS

Robert Welch founded The John Birch Society on December 9, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

February 1958

American Opinion Launched

American Opinion Launched

Volume I, issue number I of American Opinion magazine was published in February 1958.