Is The Founding Father Of Modern Freemasons

Freemasons can trace their roots to the construction of a temple for King Solomon in 967 B.C. The construction of this temple was noted in the “biblical book of Kings” and it describes that the builders of this ancient temple became the first stonemasons and they are the founding fathers of modern Freemasons (Ridley, 2013). However, Freemasonry didn’t reach America until the 1700s when it was introduced from London. The introduction of Freemasonry can be traced back to London in 1717 were the first Grand Lodge was finished in London by that year. Although its introduction in America only occurred by the 1730s, its growth was pretty slow until the mid-18th century when the membership suddenly increased. Horowitz (2009) argued that the membership

For example, out of the 56 leaders who signed the declaration of independence, 9 leaders (16%) were Freemasons and out of the 39 leaders who signed the US constitution, 12 were Freemasons. Further, from the 74 generals in the revolutionary army, at least 46% (34) were Freemasons (Horowitz, 2009). Also, the influence of Freemasonry can also be seen by the fact that all major buildings in Washington included a cornerstone that was usually laid under a ritual by the Freemasons. For example, important buildings like the White House, the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian and the Independence Hall laid by Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Even though Freemasonry was more livelier in the period before and during the revolution, you could still see a gradual increase of the organization as the 19th century approached. Even the first president of the US was a Freemason and his story in the organization can provide insights on how the practice has remained in America ever since (Horowitz, 2009). George Washington became a Freemason in 1752 when he joined the Fredericksburg Lodge in Virginia. Here, he became a member among the elites of Virginians who included people like Thomas Posey, Hugh Mercer and George

The fraternity was introduced in America in the early 18th century from London where it was started in 1717. Freemasonry grew rapidly during the American Revolution since leaders were looking for an organization that could connect like-minded individuals across America. Such an organization was important to ensure that people could exchange ideas on liberty and independence. The spread and popularity of Freemasonry can be illustrated by the fact that most of the founding fathers such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were members of the fraternity. Also, a substantial number of the signers of the declaration of independence and the constitution were