Freemasonry in the United States

Freemasonry is a fraternal order originating in Great Britain that spread internationally through colonial expansion and migration. Its members traditionally gather in local groups known as lodges, historically exclusively male. The order emphasizes moral development, mutual assistance, and ethical conduct, often expressed through symbolic rituals. Throughout its history, Freemasonry has exerted significant influence, particularly in the United States.

Origin and Colonial Expansion

Freemasonry was transmitted from the British Isles during the colonial era, when the original Grand Lodges of England began issuing charters in North America. Beginning in 1730, the “Moderns” Grand Lodge of England granted mandates for the establishment of Provincial Grand Lodges in the North American colonies. These mandates were initially issued to individuals appointed as deputy grand masters, resulting in overlapping jurisdictions and considerable administrative confusion.

Following the establishment of the rival “Ancients” Grand Lodge of England, separate Provincial Grand Lodges were created under its authority. The two competing systems, known as the Moderns and the Ancients, became the dominant organizational branches of Freemasonry in the English-speaking world during the eighteenth century.

Timeline of Provincial Grand Lodges

The Masonic expansion in North America can be traced through the following sequence of Provincial Grand Lodge establishments:

• Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York (Moderns) — Established in 1730. The mandate was issued to Daniel Coxe. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania dates its origin to this Provincial Grand Lodge.
• New England (Moderns) — Established in 1733. The mandate was issued to Henry Price. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts dates its origin to this Provincial Grand Lodge.
• South Carolina — Established in 1736.
• New York (Moderns) — Established between 1738 and the 1780s. The mandates were issued successively to Francis Goelet (1738–1753), George Harrison (1753–1771), and Sir John Johnson (from 1771). Johnson, loyal to the Crown during the American Revolution, is believed to have taken his mandate with him when he fled to Canada, leaving the Moderns lodges without a provincial grand master.
• North America (Scotland) — Established in 1757. The mandate was issued to Colonel John Young.
• Pennsylvania (Ancients) — Established in 1761. The mandate was issued to William Ball.
• North Carolina — Established in 1771.
• New York (Athol Charter, Ancients) — Established between 1781 and 1784. Although authorized by the Ancients, the last provincial grand master, Chancellor Robert R. Livingston (provincial grand master from 1784 to 1787), was in fact master of a lodge under the jurisdiction of the Moderns, thereby uniting the two branches of English Freemasonry in the state of New York. Livingston continued in office as the first grand master of the independent Grand Lodge of New York.

Early Organizational Structure

Freemasonry in the colonies did not initially form a unified American organization. Individual lodges operated under charters issued by English or Scottish Grand Lodges, or under the supervision of a provincial grand master appointed by them. Multiple competing jurisdictions could exist within a single colony.

In addition to the first English Grand Lodge (founded in 1717), the Ancient Grand Lodge of England (established in 1751) and the Grand Lodge of Scotland also granted charters to North American lodges. No general American Grand Lodge emerged during the colonial period; lodges and Provincial Grand Lodges remained largely autonomous.

The Schism between the Moderns and the Ancients

The division between the Moderns and the Ancients originated in a group of predominantly Irish Freemasons in London who, under the leadership of Laurence Dermott, founded a rival Grand Lodge in 1751. The names were polemical: the new organization called itself the Ancients because it accused the older Grand Lodge of having altered traditional rituals and neglected Masonic traditions.

There were significant social differences between the two branches. The early Moderns lodges in the colonies were supported mainly by merchants, lawyers, government officials, and other members of the urban upper class. The Ancients, for their part, increasingly admitted artisans, small traders, and soldiers, and filled their leadership positions more consistently through elections.

In religious matters, the Moderns relied on the “religion in which all men agree,” formulated in James Anderson’s Masonic Constitutions of 1723. They required belief in a supreme being but avoided affiliation with any particular denomination, incorporating elements of the Enlightenment and natural religion. The Ancients, by contrast, more frequently used explicit Christianity as a guide.

In the colonies, the Ancients attracted more members and eventually outnumbered the Moderns, whose ranks included prominent American revolutionaries such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. The Masonic schism was finally resolved in 1813, when the Moderns adopted the fourth degree of the Ancients, who in turn accepted the deistic orientation of Freemasonry.

Freemasonry and the American Revolution

Prominent Freemasons during the American revolutionary era included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Joseph Warren, and Paul Revere. Benjamin Franklin, an advocate of the deistic and Enlightenment ideals of the Moderns, was closely linked to this movement.

It has been noted that the United States Constitution reflected Masonic ideals such as equality, freedom of speech, and religious tolerance. This claim, however, constitutes a historical interpretation rather than a documented fact in itself, and should be considered as such.

Later Evolution and Current Situation

Freemasonry reached its peak of membership in the United States in 1959, with more than 4.1 million Freemasons. By 2023, the figure had declined to just under 870,000, distributed across thousands of lodges in all fifty states. Despite this numerical decline, North America remains a major center of Masonic activity internationally.

Historical Assessment

The history of Freemasonry in North America illustrates the complex interplay between tradition, institutional organization, and social change. The development of Provincial Grand Lodges, the rivalry between the Moderns and the Ancients, and the subsequent unification in 1813 reflect broader processes of institutional consolidation and cultural adaptation. The presence of prominent revolutionary figures among its members, as well as the influence attributed to Masonic ideals in shaping American political thought, place the order as a historical phenomenon of enduring relevance. With its emphasis on moral development, mutual assistance, and ethical conduct, Freemasonry has maintained a continuous presence in North American social life from the colonial period to the present day.