Cabal, << kuh BAL or kuh BAHL, >> is a close-knit group of people who work privately or secretly to carry out their own plans. The word has become a term of reproach, and implies plotting, scheming, and conspiring to overthrow legitimate authority.
The term cabal is frequently associated with five members of the Privy Council under King Charles II of England. However, the group actually carried out many popular foreign policy projects and did not fit what has become the common meaning of the term.
The Conway cabal is a name given to a group of American army officers and congressmen who wished to remove George Washington from his post as commander in chief in 1777 and 1778, during the Revolutionary War. The name is taken from that of Major General Thomas Conway, who regarded Washington’s military skills with contempt and questioned his ability to lead. However, many historians question whether an organized plot against Washington ever existed.
