The First Masonic Lodge
Before the freemasons became a turning point for politics in the early 19th century, the society was a simple stoneworker’s organization, thought to be created in England and Scotland back in the 1500s. The order soon took on a more philosophical approach and used their stonemasonry principles as a guiding tool to secretly help its members when it comes to business and society.
Street Scene in Plymouth Devon Showing the Freemasons Hall and Various Citizens Going About Their Various Business. Photo By Historia/Shutterstock
It was in the early 18th century that the first Masonic Lodges started popping up in the colonies and quickly acquired influence and power. Ultimately, the members of the society played an essential role in the development of the United States. Out of 39 signatures in the US Constitution, 13 of them belonged to Masons. By the 1820s, when Morgan disappeared, the society had representatives at every economic, social, and political hierarchy in the country, especially in New York.