Masons and Freemasons are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings.
Freemasonry
is the trade of stone masonry, while Masonry is a fraternal organization consisting of Masons. This blog post will discuss the differences between Masons and Masons in more detail. Freemasonry became popular in cities as political, business, and intellectual elites met in a lodge.With aristocratic and, later, royal patronage, Freemasonry became the preeminent fraternal organization of the 18th century. The first records of American Masonic lodges are located in Philadelphia. John's Lodge was duly incorporated by the Grand Lodge of England and is still the oldest lodge in North America. Intertwined with the British Enlightenment, Masonic lodges were formed throughout Europe and the Americas. The network of Scottish, English and Irish lodges helped unite the British commercial empire.
Although American elites initially joined Masons to keep pace with gentle English behavior, the fraternity contributed to the dissemination of the ideas and ideals behind the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary era, prominent Masons included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Otis, and Paul Revere. While individual Masons actively participated in the American Revolution, Freemasonry, as an institution and its local lodges, remained politically neutral. It's hard to know for sure, but some people believe that Masons have a secret plan that includes government control and world affairs. Maria Deraismes started out in Freemasonry in 1882, and then resigned to allow her lodge to join her Grand Lodge. During the initiation ceremony, the candidate must assume the obligation to do good as a Mason in the religious book dedicated to his personal faith.
To become a Mason, you must be willing to defend the values of the fraternity and comply with its rules and regulations. At some later time, in separate ceremonies, they will move to the rank of Fellowship and then be elevated to the rank of Master Mason. In 1653, the guild changed its name again, eliminating the prefix “Free” and becoming the Company of Masons. From France and England, Freemasonry spread to most of continental Europe during the course of the 18th century. The Church was not their only enemy; the secrecy of the Masons generated such mistrust in the early United States that several states passed laws prohibiting them from being members. Reports about the Morgan case, along with opposition to Jacksonian democracy (Andrew Jackson was a prominent Mason), helped spur an anti-Masonic movement.
After World War II, the “don't forget me” flower was used again as a Masonic emblem in 1948 at the first Annual Convention of the United Grand Lodges of Germany in 1948. Prince Hall Freemasonry exists because of the refusal of the first American lodges to admit African Americans. 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 throughout Italy, its appeal extended to leaders of parliament, public administration, and the military. In 1972, in Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then Prime Minister of Pakistan, banned Freemasonry. Persuaded that the just application of the principles on which the Masonic Fraternity is founded must promote private virtue and public prosperity, I will always be happy to promote the interests of the Fraternity and to be considered by them as a deserving brother. After the death of Martha Washington, the lodge acquired many valuable items from her estate including a Masonic apron sent from France in 1793.
