- Date:
- 1983 - 1986
- Areas Of Involvement:
- Christianity
- crime
- antisemitism
- assassination
- white supremacy
The Order
-
What was The Order?
The Order was an American white supremacist group established in October 1983 by Robert Jay Mathews and eight other men. They took an oath to create a white supremacist society. The group financed their activities through criminal acts such as counterfeiting and robbery, stealing over $4 million in a span of five months in 1984.
In May 1984, The Order committed its first murder, killing Walter West, who they considered a security threat. The following month, the group assassinated Jewish radio host Alan Berg. The Order's downfall began with the arrest of a member, Thomas Martinez, who then cooperated with authorities. By March 1986, all members of The Order had been captured.
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When and where was The Order active?
The Order, an American white supremacist group, was active from October 1983 to March 1986. It was founded by Robert Jay Mathews at his family compound in Metaline Falls, Washington, in October 1983. The group's activities included assassinations, robberies, and counterfeiting. The Order's crime spree ended after the death of Mathews, and by March 1986, all members of The Order had been captured.
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What did The Order believe in?
The Order, an American white supremacist group, was founded by Robert Jay Mathews. Their beliefs centered on establishing a white supremacist society, rooted in the idea that the U.S. federal government was conspiring to take money from white Christian Americans and give it to Jewish people.
To achieve their goals, The Order engaged in criminal activities, initially targeting those they deemed immoral before escalating to counterfeiting, bank robbery, and armored car heists. They committed their first murder in May 1984 and assassinated Jewish radio talk-show host Alan Berg in June 1984. The Order's activities were financed through the money they stole.
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What illegal activities did The Order take part in?
The Order, an American white supremacist group, engaged in a range of illegal activities to finance their goal of establishing a white supremacist society.
These activities included:
* Counterfeiting and bank robbery
* Stealing more than $4 million over five months in 1984
* Murder, including the assassination of Jewish radio host Alan Berg in 1984The group's crime spree led to the arrest of members, and by March 1986, all members of The Order had been captured. Eventually, 11 members negotiated plea bargains, and 10 were convicted of racketeering and conspiracy.
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Who were the key leaders of The Order?
The Order, an American white supremacist group, was known for the assassination of Jewish radio host Alan Berg in 1984.
Key people:
* Robert Jay Mathews: Founder of The Order, who became involved in the movement to protest U.S. federal income taxes.
* Eight Other Men: Neo-Nazi militants and participants in the racist Christian Identity movement took an oath with Mathews to work toward a white supremacist society.
* Thomas Martinez: A member of the group whose arrest for passing counterfeit money led to his cooperation with authorities and the capture of other members.
* Bill Soderquist: A member who was granted complete immunity for his cooperation with law enforcement.1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What happened to The Order after they were discovered by law enforcement?
After The Order was discovered by law enforcement, events unfolded rapidly, leading to the group's demise. It started with the arrest of Thomas Martinez for passing counterfeit money, who then cooperated with authorities, leading to an attempt to capture leader Robert Jay Mathews.
After Mathews escaped, several members fled with him to Whidbey Island, where they declared war on the U.S. government. The FBI tracked them down in December 1984. While most escaped, Mathews remained and died in a blaze after a 30-hour standoff with the FBI.
By March 1986, all members were captured. Eleven members negotiated plea bargains, and ten were convicted of racketeering and conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Sentences ranged from 30 to 150 years. Bill Soderquist was granted immunity, and Martinez was sentenced to probation and paid for his cooperation.
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The Order, American white supremacist group known for its assassination of Jewish radio talk-show host Alan Berg in 1984.
The Orderās founder, Robert Jay Mathews, became involved with the movement to protest U.S. federal income taxes in the 1970s. Mathews saw taxation as a conspiracy by the federal government to take money from white Christian Americans and put it in the hands of Jews. After his arrest for falsifying tax forms in 1973, he became disenchanted with the movement because he received no support from his fellow members during the period between his arrest and trial. Mathews retained links with white supremacists through meetings of the Aryan Nations and the National Alliance. In October 1983 at his family compound in Metaline Falls, Washington, Mathews and eight other menāsome neo-Nazi militants and others participants in the racist Christian Identity movementātook an oath to work toward a white supremacist society. Although Mathews preferred the name BrĆ¼der Schweigen (āSilent Brotherhoodā) for the group, it was so closely modeled on a fictional organization called The Order, in William Pierceās The Turner Diaries (1978), that several of its members (as well as authorities) adopted this name.
To finance their group, members of The Order turned to crime. Initially they targeted pimps, drug dealers, and anybody else they judged had no morals, convincing themselves they were doing Godās work. In December 1983 they escalated their criminal activities to counterfeiting and bank robbery. Although they stole tens of thousands of dollars, the group found those funds insufficient to bankroll a full-scale revolution. After experiencing limited success with their forays into counterfeiting, the group expanded their robbery targets to include armoured cars. The Order stole more than $4 million over a five-month span in 1984, but a gun left at the scene of one of the robberies would implicate the group in the crime spree.
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In May 1984 The Order committed its first murder, when members killed Walter West, an Aryan Nations member who was judged to have become a security threat. The following month the group targeted Berg because he was Jewish and a vocal opponent of right-wing extremism. Members of The Order ambushed Berg at his home, shooting him more than a dozen times. The Order had a target list that included Morris Dees, the cofounder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and television producer Norman Lear. None of those other assassinations were carried out.
The Orderās ultimate downfall began when Thomas Martinez, a member of the group, was arrested in Philadelphia for passing counterfeit money shortly after the Berg assassination. To avoid prosecution, Martinez cooperated with authorities, and in November 1984 he tricked Mathews into meeting with him in Portland, Oregon. There the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) captured another member of The Order, but Mathews managed to escape.
Several members of The Order fled with Mathews to Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, where they composed a declaration of war on the U.S. government. The FBI eventually tracked them to the island in December 1984, but not before most of them had managed to escape. A handful remained with Mathews and eventually surrendered to the FBI. Mathews himself refused to surrender, keeping agents at bay with submachine gun fire for more than 30 hours. Hoping to resolve the stalemate, agents fired flares into the house where he was hiding, and Mathews died in the subsequent blaze.
The death of Mathews spelled the end of the group, and by March 1986 all members of The Order had been captured. Eventually 11 members negotiated plea bargains, and 10 were convicted of racketeering and conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Until that time, RICO had been used mostly to prosecute organized-crime figures. Sentences ranged from 30 to 150 years. One member, Bill Soderquist, was granted complete immunity for his cooperation with law enforcement. Martinez was sentenced to probation and was eventually paid $25,000 for his role in the investigation.
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