Origins Since the middle of the 19th century, Masonic historians have sought the origins of the movement in a series of similar documents known as the
Old Charges, dating from the
Regius Poem in about 1425 to the beginning of the 18th century. Addressed to members of operative masons' lodges, they relate the craft to a
mythologised history of the craft, the duties of its grades, and the manner in which oaths of fidelity are to be taken on joining. The 15th century also sees the first evidence of ceremonial regalia. There is no clear mechanism by which these local trade organisations became today's Masonic Lodges. The earliest rituals and passwords known, from operative lodges around the turn of the 17th–18th centuries, show continuity with the rituals developed in the later 18th century by accepted or speculative Masons, as those members who did not practice the physical craft gradually came to be known. The minutes of the
Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel) No. 1 in Scotland show a continuity from an operative lodge in 1598 to a modern speculative Lodge. It is reputed to be the oldest Masonic Lodge in the world. , Suffolk, England, early 20th century, set up for a Holy Royal Arch convocation|alt=Royal Arch Chapter in England, beginning of c20 Alternatively, in 1803 German professor
J. G. Buhle put forward the theory that Freemasonry may have been an outgrowth of
Rosicrucianism, an idea taken up by
Thomas De Quincey. The first Grand Lodge, the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, later called the
Grand Lodge of England, was founded on
St John's Day, 24 June 1717, when four existing London Lodges met for a joint dinner. Over the next decade, most of the existing Lodges in England joined the new regulatory body, which itself entered a period of self-publicity and expansion. New lodges were created, and the fraternity began to grow. Over the course of the 18th century, as aristocrats and artists crowded out the craftsmen originally associated with the organisation, Freemasonry became fashionable throughout Europe and the
American colonies. Between 1730 and 1750 the Grand Lodge endorsed several significant changes that some Lodges could not endorse. A rival Grand Lodge was formed on 17 July 1751, which called itself the "
Antient Grand Lodge of England" to signify that, in their opinion, these lodges were maintaining older traditions and rejected changes that the Premiere Grand Lodge had adopted. As an insult, the self proclaimed "Antient Grand Lodge" coined the term "modern" to designate the Premiere Grand Lodge (historians now use Premiere Grand Lodge and Antient Grand Lodge – to differentiate the two bodies). These two Grand Lodges vied for supremacy until the Premiere Grand Lodge made a
compromise with the antient Grand Lodge to return to a ritual that worked for both Grand Lodges. They re-united on 27 December 1813 to form the
United Grand Lodge of England. The
Grand Lodge of Ireland and the
Grand Lodge of Scotland were formed in 1725 and 1736, respectively, although neither persuaded all of the existing lodges in their countries to join for many years.
18th-century Enlightenment , was founded During the
Age of the Enlightenment in the 18th century, Freemasons comprised an international network of like-minded men, often meeting in secret in ritualistic programs at their lodges. They promoted the ideals of the Enlightenment and helped diffuse these values across Britain and France and other places. British Freemasonry offered a systematic creed with its own myths, values and set of rituals. It fostered new codes of conduct—including a communal understanding of liberty and equality inherited from guild sociability—"liberty, fraternity, and equality." Scottish soldiers and Jacobite Scots brought to the Continent ideals of fraternity which reflected not the local system of Scottish customs but the institutions and ideals originating in the English Revolution against royal absolutism. Freemasonry was particularly prevalent in France—by 1789, there were between 50,000 and 100,000 French Masons, making Freemasonry the most popular of all Enlightenment associations. Jacob argues that Masonic lodges probably had an effect on society as a whole, for they "reconstituted the polity and established a constitutional form of self-government, complete with constitutions and laws, elections and representatives". In other words, the micro-society set up within the lodges constituted a normative model for society as a whole. This was especially true on the Continent: when the first lodges began to appear in the 1730s, their embodiment of British values was often seen as threatening by state authorities. For example, the Parisian lodge that met in the mid-1720s was composed of English
Jacobite exiles. Furthermore, freemasons all across Europe made reference to the Enlightenment in general in the 18th century. In French lodges, for example, the line "As the means to be enlightened I search for the enlightened" was a part of their initiation rites. British lodges assigned themselves the duty to "initiate the unenlightened". Many lodges praised the Grand Architect, the masonic terminology for the divine being who created a scientifically ordered universe. On the other hand, the historian
Robert Roswell Palmer noted that lodges operated separately and Masons politically did not act together as a group. American historians note that
Benjamin Franklin and
George Washington were leading Masons, but the significance of Freemasonry in the revolution is a topic of debate. Daniel Roche contests freemasonry's claims for egalitarianism, writing that "the real equality of the lodges was elitist", only attracting men of similar social backgrounds. In long-term historical perspective,
Norman Davies has argued that Freemasonry was a powerful force in Europe from about 1700 to the twentieth century. It expanded rapidly during the Age of Enlightenment, reaching practically every country in Europe, as well as the European colonies in the New World and Asia. Davies states, "In the nineteenth century and beyond it would be strongly associated with the cause of Liberalism." In Catholic lands it was anti-clerical and came under heavy attack from the Catholic Church. In the 20th century, it was suppressed by
Fascist and
Communist regimes. It was especially attractive to royalty, aristocrats, politicians and businessmen, as well as intellectuals, artists and political activists. Davies notes that prominent members included
Montesquieu,
Voltaire,
Sir Robert Walpole,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
Benjamin Franklin and
George Washington. Steven Bullock notes that in the late 18th century, English lodges were headed by the Prince of Wales, Prussian lodges by King
Frederick the Great, and French lodges by royal princes.
Napoleon as
Emperor of the French selected his own brother as the Grand Master of France.
Emergence of Continental or Liberal Freemasonry English Freemasonry spread to France in the 1720s, first as lodges of expatriates and exiled
Jacobites, and then as distinctively French lodges that still follow the ritual of the
Premier Grand Lodge of England. From France and England, Freemasonry spread to most of Continental Europe during the course of the 18th century. The Grande Loge de France was formed under the Grand Mastership of the Duke of Clermont, who exercised only nominal authority. His successor,
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, reconstituted the central body as the Grand Orient de France in 1773. Briefly eclipsed during the
French Revolution, French Freemasonry continued to grow in the next century, at first under the leadership of
Alexandre Francois Auguste de Grasse, Comte de Grassy-Tilly.
France In the 18th century, liberal French politicians met together in Masonic lodges to develop some of the
Enlightenment ideas that dominated the
French Revolution of 1789. Avner Halpern has traced French Freemasonry's major role in building France's first modern political party in 1901,
the Radical Party. It used two Masonic devices: the "civil leadership model", which Freemasonry developed in late 19th century France, and the local Masonic congresses of the Grand Orient of France federations.
Russia Freemasons had been active in Russia in the 18th century, working to introduce
Enlightenment ideals; however, they were increasingly suppressed by the government. According to Ludwick Hass, Freemasonry was officially illegal in Tsarist Russia, but would later be introduced by exiles who returned after the 1905 revolution. These individuals had been active Masons in Paris, where lodges were politically active in the new Radical Party. In Russia, the Freemasons supported constitutional liberalism and maintained ties with France while simplifying many of the ceremonial rituals. Their secret meetings became a centre of progressive ideals, attracting politicians and activists. The lodges initially supported World War I, promoting close ties with France. The liberal activist
Alexander Kerensky, who came to political power with the overthrow of the tsars in 1917, was a Mason. The organisation collapsed as the Bolsheviks took power and was again outlawed.
Italy According to Adrian Lyttelton, in the early 20th century, Freemasonry was an influential but semi-secret force in Italian politics; with a strong presence among professionals and the middle class across Italy, its appeal spread to the leadership of the parliament, public administration, and the army. The two main organisations were the Grand Orient and the Grand Lodge of Italy. They had around 25,000 members in some 500 lodges. Politically, they promoted
Italian nationalism, focused on unification, and undermining the power of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church was a vigorous opponent of unification, and thus of the Freemasons; various national governments would repeatedly alternate and backpedal between the
anticlerical side and the Church side. Freemasons took on the challenge of mobilising the press, encouraging public opinion and the leading political parties in support of
Italy's joining of the Allies of the
First World War in 1914–1915. In 1919 they favoured a
League of Nations to promote a new post-war, universal order based upon the peaceful coexistence of independent and democratic nations. In the early 1920s, many of
Mussolini's collaborators, especially the leaders in organising the
March on Rome, were Masons. The lodges hailed
fascism as the saviour of Italy from
Bolshevism; however, Mussolini decided he needed to come to terms with the Catholic Church, in the mid-1920s, outlawing Freemasonry.
Germany North America , first Freemason in present-day Canada,
Old Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia) The earliest known American lodges were in
Pennsylvania. The collector for the port of
Pennsylvania, John Moore, wrote of attending lodges there in 1715, two years before the putative formation of the first Grand Lodge in London. The
Grand Lodge of England appointed a Provincial Grand Master for North America in 1731, based in Pennsylvania, leading to the creation of the
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. In Canada
Erasmus James Philipps became a Freemason while working on a commission to resolve boundaries in
New England and, in 1739 he became provincial Grand Master for
Nova Scotia; Philipps founded the first Masonic lodge in Canada at
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Other lodges in the colony of Pennsylvania obtained authorisations from the later
Antient Grand Lodge of England, the
Grand Lodge of Scotland and the
Grand Lodge of Ireland, which was particularly well represented in the travelling lodges of the British Army. Many lodges came into existence with no warrant from any Grand Lodge, applying and paying for their authorisation only after they were confident of their own survival. After the
American Revolution independent US Grand Lodges developed within each state. Some thought was briefly given to organising an overarching "Grand Lodge of the United States", with
George Washington, who was a member of a Virginian lodge, as the first Grand Master, but the idea was short-lived. The various state Grand Lodges did not wish to diminish their own authority by agreeing to such a body. On 30 April 1789, Washington took his
oath of office at his
first inauguration upon a
Bible belonging to
St. John's Lodge No. 1 of New York.
Robert Livingston,
Chancellor of the State of New York, also the first
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York, administered the oath.
Prince Hall Freemasonry Prince Hall Freemasonry exists because of the refusal of early American lodges to admit African Americans. In 1775, an African American named
Prince Hall, along with 14 other African American men, was initiated into a British military lodge with a warrant from the
Grand Lodge of Ireland, having failed to obtain admission from the other lodges in
Boston. When the British military Lodge left North America after the end of the Revolutionary War, those 15 men were given the authority to meet as a Lodge, but not to initiate Masons. In 1784, these individuals obtained a Warrant from the Grand Lodge of England (Premiere Grand Lodge) and formed
African Lodge, Number 459. When the two English grand lodges united in 1813, all U.S.-based Lodges were stricken from their rolls—largely because of the
War of 1812. Thus, separated from both English jurisdiction and any concordantly recognised U.S. Grand Lodge, African Lodge retitled itself as the African Lodge, Number 1—and became a
de facto Grand Lodge. (This lodge is not to be confused with the various Grand Lodges in Africa.) As with the rest of US Freemasonry, Prince Hall Freemasonry soon grew and organised on a Grand Lodge system for each state. Unlike other
fraternal orders, there was never any blanket rule against the admission of men based on their race. Each lodge and grand lodge had their own rules, both written and unwritten. A few non-Prince Hall lodges did admit Blacks, with
Angelo Soliman being one notable Masonic personality of African descent. Nonetheless, widespread
racial segregation in 19th- and early-20th-century North America made it difficult for African Americans to join Lodges outside of Prince Hall jurisdictions. Today most (but not all) US Grand Lodges recognise their Prince Hall counterparts, and the authorities of both traditions are working towards full recognition. The United Grand Lodge of England has no problem with recognising Prince Hall Grand Lodges. While celebrating their heritage as lodges of African Americans, Prince Hall is open to all men regardless of race or religion.
Latin America and Caribbean Jamaican Freemasonry Freemasonry was imported to
Jamaica by British settlers. In 1908 there were eleven recorded Masonic lodges, which included three Grand Lodges, two Craft lodges, and two Rose Croix chapters. During slavery, the lodges were open to all "freeborn" men. After the
full abolition of slavery in 1838, the Lodges were open to all Jamaican men of any race. Jamaica also kept close relationships with Masons from other countries. Jamaican Freemasonry historian Jackie Ranston noted that: The Spanish government outlawed Freemasonry in its overseas empire in the mid-18th century, and energetically enforced the ban. Nevertheless, many Freemasons were active in planning and plotting for independence. Leaders with Freemason membership included
Simón Bolivar, Grand Master
Francisco de Miranda,
José de San Martin,
Bernardo O'Higgins and many others. The movement was important after independence was achieved in the 1820s.
In Brazil many prominent men were Freemasons, and they played a leading role in the abolition of slavery.
Mexico Freemasons were leaders in liberalism and anticlericalism in 19th and 20th-century Mexico. Members included numerous top leaders. The Freemasons were divided regarding relations with the United States, with a pro-U.S. faction supported by the American ambassador
Joel Poinsett known as the "Yorkinos". According to the historian Karen Racine, Freemasons in
the presidency of Mexico included:
Guadalupe Victoria,
Valentín Gómez Farías,
Antonio López de Santa Anna,
Benito Juárez,
Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada,
Porfirio Díaz,
Francisco I. Madero,
Venustiano Carranza,
Plutarco Elías Calles,
Lázaro Cárdenas,
Emilio Portes Gil,
Pascual Ortiz Rubio,
Abelardo L. Rodríguez and
Miguel Alemán Valdés.
Freemasonry in the Middle East After the failure of the
1830 Italian revolution, a number of Italian Freemasons were forced to flee. They secretly set up an approved chapter of
Scottish Rite in
Alexandria, a town already inhabited by a large Italian community. Meanwhile, the French Freemasons publicly organised a local chapter in Alexandria in 1845. During the 19th and 20th century, Masonic lodges operated widely across all parts of the
Ottoman Empire and numerous
Sufi orders shared a close relationship with them. Many
Young Turks affiliated with the
Bektashi Order were members and patrons of Freemasonry. They were also closely allied against
European imperialism. Many Ottoman intellectuals believed that
Sufism and Freemasonry shared close similarities in doctrines, spiritual outlook and mysticism.
Asia-Pacific China ,
India founded in 1873 The first lodge formed in China was the Amity Lodge which constituted at Canton in 1767. In 1875, District Grand Lodge of China split into two Districts, Northern China, and Hong Kong and South China. During the second world war, all Masonic activity in Hong Kong was brought to a halt due to the Japanese invasion. After 1949, when the new Chinese government (Communist) was established, some lodges moved to Hong Kong or closed due to lack of new candidates. Freemasonry is currently outlawed by the
Chinese Communist Party in mainland China. It is permitted in Hong Kong. Freemasonry survived on the island of
Taiwan and the
Grand Lodge of China is based in
Taipei. Royal Sussex Lodge No. 501 was the first lodge established in
Victoria City of Hong Kong on 29 April 1844. There are 20 (English Constitution) lodges under the District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and Far East, United Grand Lodge of England that meet at
Zetland Hall.
Schisms Racial schism The relationship between English and French Freemasonry changed significantly during the formation of the
United Grand Lodge of England in 1813. While the two jurisdictions maintained mutual recognition for several decades, events in the 1860s and 1870s led to a lasting division. In 1868 the
Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the State of Louisiana established itself within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana. This body was recognised by the Grand Orient de France but considered irregular by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana because it admitted Black members. The following year, shocked by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana's discrimination practices, the Grand Orient de France clarified and cemented its positions by passing a resolution declaring that "neither colour, race, nor religion could disqualify a man from Masonry". This prompted the Grand Lodge of Louisiana to withdraw recognition and influenced other American Grand Lodges to do the same.
Theological schism A philosophical debate during the
Lausanne Congress of Supreme Councils of 1875 led the Grand Orient de France to examine its foundational principles. Following a report by a Protestant pastor, they concluded that Freemasonry, not being a religion, should not require religious belief. The Grand Orient revised its constitution to emphasise "absolute liberty of conscience and human solidarity", removing previous requirements regarding belief in the
existence of God and the
immortality of the soul. The
United Grand Lodge of England subsequently withdrew recognition of the Grand Orient de France, possibly influenced by contemporary political tensions between France and Britain. This separation continues today.
Evolution of styles This philosophical development led to a diversification within French Freemasonry. In 1894, some lodges formed the
Grande Loge de France, maintaining reference to the
Great Architect of the Universe while preserving many French Masonic traditions, representing a middle path between Liberal and Anglo approaches. By 1913 the United Grand Lodge of England established relations with the newly formed "
Grande Loge Nationale Indépendante et Régulière pour la France et les Colonies Françaises," which aligned more closely with Anglo-American Masonic practices. This diversification allowed French Freemasonry to develop along multiple paths. The Grand Orient de France continued as a significant intellectual and progressive force in French society. Its Liberal emphasis on freedom of conscience and social progress has been particularly influential in the development of secular democratic values throughout Europe and beyond, while Anglo-American bodies maintained their own distinct approach to Masonic principles. Modern Freemasonry encompasses three main approaches, which influence practice throughout Continental Europe: • Liberal (or adogmatic/progressive) – Emphasising liberty of conscience and
laïcité, particularly regarding separation of Church and State. • Traditional – Following established French practices while maintaining requirement for belief in a supreme being. The
Grande Loge de France exemplifies this approach. • Conservative – Following Anglo-American practices with mandatory belief in supreme being. The term
Continental Freemasonry historically described the diverse Masonic traditions that developed in Europe. While Albert Mackey's 1873
Encyclopedia of Freemasonry defined it from an Anglo-American perspective as lodges that "retain many usages which have either been abandoned by, or never were observed in, the Lodges of England, Ireland, and Scotland," a more balanced view recognises that these represent distinct philosophical approaches to Masonic principles. Today, Liberal Freemasonry encompasses traditions like the
Grand Orient de France, which emphasises freedom of conscience and social progress, as well as bodies like the Grande Loge de France that maintain some traditional elements while embracing certain Liberal principles. These organisations have played significant roles in the development of democratic ideals, human rights, and social reform throughout Europe and Latin America, representing a dynamic interpretation of Masonic principles focused on human advancement and the betterment of society. Different approaches to recognition and interaction between Masonic bodies emerged in the 20th century. In 1961, several Grand Lodges and Grand Orients established the
Centre de Liaison et d'Information des Puissances maçonniques Signataires de l'Appel de Strasbourg (CLIPSAS), creating an international forum for Masonic cooperation. CLIPSAS membership includes over 100 Masonic organisations worldwide, encompassing traditional, liberal, and mixed-gender organisations. This development reflected different philosophical approaches to Masonic recognition. The
United Grand Lodge of England maintains a policy of exclusive recognition based on specific criteria, including belief in a supreme being and male-only membership. In contrast, CLIPSAS member organisations generally practise open recognition, allowing interaction between diverse Masonic traditions. These differing approaches to recognition have led to distinct networks of Masonic interaction, often characterised as Anglo-American and Liberal traditions, though this simplification does not fully capture the complexity of modern Masonic relationships. This represents a significant evolution from earlier stricter positions and demonstrates increasing liberalisation and acceptance of diverse Masonic traditions. Additionally, in 2018 UGLE released guidance explicitly welcoming
transgender members and affirming that "A Freemason who after initiation ceases to be a man does not cease to be a Freemason."
Freemasonry and women The status of women in the old guilds and corporations of medieval masons remains uncertain. The principle of "femme sole" allowed a widow to continue the trade of her husband, but its application had wide local variations, such as full membership of a trade body or limited trade by deputation or approved members of that body. In Masonry, the small available evidence points to the less empowered end of the scale. At the dawn of the
Grand Lodge era, during the 1720s,
James Anderson composed the
first printed constitutions for Freemasons, the basis for most subsequent constitutions, which specifically excluded women from Freemasonry. As Freemasonry spread, women began to be added to the
Lodges of Adoption by their husbands who were continental masons, which worked three degrees with the same names as the men's but different content. The French officially abandoned the experiment in the early 19th century. Later organisations with a similar aim emerged in the United States but distinguished the names of the degrees from those of male masonry.
Maria Deraismes was initiated into Freemasonry in 1882, then resigned to allow her lodge to rejoin their Grand Lodge. Having failed to achieve acceptance from any masonic governing body, she and
Georges Martin started a mixed masonic lodge that worked masonic ritual.
Annie Besant spread the phenomenon to the English-speaking world. Disagreements over ritual led to the formation of exclusively female bodies of Freemasons in England, which spread to other countries. Meanwhile, the French had re-invented Adoption as an all-female lodge in 1901, only to cast it aside again in 1935. The lodges, however, continued to meet, which gave rise, in 1959, to a body of women practising continental Freemasonry. The United Grand Lodge of England issued a statement in 1999 recognising the two women's grand lodges there, The Order of Women Freemasons and The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons, to be regular in all but the participants. While they were not, therefore, recognised as regular, they were part of Freemasonry "in general". The attitude of most regular Anglo-American grand lodges remains that women Freemasons are not legitimate Masons. In 2018 guidance was released by the
United Grand Lodge of England stating that, in regard to transgender women, "A Freemason who after initiation ceases to be a man does not cease to be a Freemason". The guidance also states that transgender men are allowed to apply. ==Anti-Masonry==