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Masons Building America the Masonic Contribution to the Creation of a New Nation

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Masons Building America the Masonic Contribution to the Creation of a New Nation Masons Building America The Masonic Contribution to the Creation of a New Nation Esther de Haan Faculty of Humanities University of Amsterdam 10075216 [email protected] Dr. E.F. van de Bilt Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Eighteenth-Century America .................................................................................................... 10 Freemasonry ............................................................................................................................. 15 Freemasonry in America ....................................................................................................... 22 The Masonic Contribution ........................................................................................................ 30 George Washington.................................................................................................................. 44 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 53 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 56 Primary Sources .................................................................................................................... 56 Secondary Sources ................................................................................................................ 58 Introduction “Success has many fathers, while failure remains an orphan…” It seems that the more important an event or the greater its historic meaning, the more people claim to making a contribution to this event, or at least try to have historians credit them or their ancestors for their supposed contributions. The founding of the United States of America is definitely one of those events with significant historical meaning. The process of separation from the British Empire by the thirteen American colonies in the eighteenth century has had consequences that are still relevant today. The world would have been a very different place had there been no United States. Just consider the enormous impact the US has had since its founding on many different areas in life, such as politics, economics, finance, science, social, cultural, architectural, literary, and sports. Growing from a group of relatively uninteresting colonies miles away from Europe, then the cultural and scientific center of the world, to the greatest power on earth in just two centuries; who would not wish for their ancestors to be a part of that? This has been cause for many different studies into the contributions of people, groups, or parties to the process that led to the independence of the American colonies and the eventual founding of the United States. Freemasonry is one such group. Freemasonry has been attributed different roles depending on whether the masons were discussed by supporters who praise freemasonry’s significant and positive contribution or by opponents who often use conspiracy theories to describe freemasonry’s dubious role in history. Who is right? What role, if any, did freemasonry truly have in this process? In what ways could this supposed contribution be measured? These questions have led to the question at the heart of this study: to what extent did freemasonry contribute to the process that led to the independence and founding of the United States of America? There are three elements to this question, namely the process that led to the independence of the American colonies and the founding of a new nation, freemasonry’s supposedly distinctive role in and contribution to this process, and making this contribution visible and measurable. The first element starts in the beginning of the eighteenth century at the east coast of North-America where British colonies were surrounded by French and Spanish colonies. Every one of these colonies was conquered, developed, cultivated, 1 controlled, and, if necessary, defended by their respective European mother countries. The often strained relationships between these European mother countries had direct repercussions on life in their respective colonies. The British areas on the east coast consisted of twelve and later thirteen colonies or provinces. Every one of them fell under the authority of the British King and Parliament. Laws were made in London and were executed by the British Governor of each colony. These laws were enforced by the British military. Colonial government was supported by local representation of the colonists. However, these colonists were not represented in the British Parliament. Where did this system go wrong? To put it very generally, the core of the problem could be found in a disturbed relationship between the “ruler”, in this case the British King and the British Parliament, and the “people”, in this case the colonists in the British colonies in America. History has shown that this relationship is often the cause of problems. It is a fragile entity and its preservation requires full attention. A ruler cannot go too far in the use of his power, since he does not “have” power; he was “given” his power by the people. Historically the “people” often consisted of the highest layers of the nobility right below the royal family. They are the ones who appoint, support, or tolerate the ruler. Once crucial elements of the relationship between “ruler” and “people” are compromised, the wolf is out, and it is the people who can limit or take away the ruler’s power. Some of these crucial elements that can break down this relationship are the right of succession; the distribution of power, freedom, rights, and duties; the right to declare war and to taxation; the administration of justice; the establishment of territories and the acquisition of property. There have been several important moments in European history when a ruler was accused of abusing his power. To name a few: in 1215 the English King John Lackland was forced to sign the Magna Carta, a manifest on freedom and the administration of justice. King John was forced to do this by English barons who accused John of abusing his power.1 In 1312 the Charter of Kortenberg and in 1356 the Joyous Entry were signed. Both documents recorded the liberties of cities and principalities.2 In 1477 the States General of the Netherlands was willing to accept and financially support Mary of Burgundy as sovereign on 1 Dan Jones, “Magna Carta and Kingship,” British Library, accessed August 11, 2015, http://www.bl.uk/magna- carta/articles/magna-carta-and-kingship. 2 “Over Ons: Charter van Kortenberg,” Oude Abdij Kortenberg, last modified March 9, 2015, accessed August 11, 2015, http://www.oudeabdijkortenberg.be/nl/Over%20ons/charter.htm; “Blijde Inkomst, een Middeleeuwse Grondwet,” Ons Verleden Hedentendage, last modified January 3, 2011, accessed August 11, 2015, https://onsverleden.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/blijde-inkomst-een-middeleeuwse-grondwet/. 2 the condition that she signed the Great Privilege. This contained the wishes and complaints made by the States with regard to the central government by the Burgundy officials.3 In 1566 approximately two hundred Dutch nobles drafted a petition in which they denounced the Inquisition and threatened rebellion if the persecution did not end. This petition was presented to the Governess Margaret of Parma; however, it remained without any practical results, for now.4 In 1579 the tract Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos written by the French Huguenots was published. This book deals with the defense of freedom against tyrants and is an important step in the way subjects like sovereignty of the people, civil disobedience, and rebellion were thought of.5 The States General of the Netherlands accused in the Act of Abjuration of 1581 the sovereign Phillip II of Spain of violating the liberties and rights of the people and declared that he would be deposed. The Act of Abjuration was the official declaration of independence of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.6 In 1689, after the Glorious Revolution, the Bill of Rights was signed by the then English King and former Dutch Stadtholder Willem III. This secured and confirmed the rights and liberties of the people and the Parliament.7 A pattern seems to be recurring in all of these examples—of which there are many more than are described here. Every example deals with complaints made by the “people”, consisting of the nobility or the bourgeoisie, concerning the misconduct, arbitrariness, and abuse of power by the “ruler”. After the ruler rejects these complaints, the people look for a more solid foundation for their complaints and offer suggestions to improve on the situation. More often than not, the position of the ruler is not called into question at this point. With the next rejection or with signs of a lack of understanding or unwillingness to change on the part of the ruler the limits of the people’s patience are reached. The people then invoke their right to take away the ruler’s power. This leads to rebellion and resistance with results that are often unpredictable. With a history like this, you would think that the 3 “Het Groot Privilege,” Canon van Limburg, accessed August 11, 2015, http://www.canonvanlimburg.nl/index.php?chapter=17&page_id=38. 4 P.A.M. Geurts, “De Nederlandse Opstand in de Pamfletten, 1566-1584,” DBNL.org, last modified 2008, accessed August 11, 2015, http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/geur004nede01_01/.
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