11 Lesser-Known Facts About the Freemasons

As the globe's most ancient secret society, the Freemasons have spent centuries shaping history, amassing a notable list of members, and sparking a wealth of myths and theories that span from plausible to outright absurd. While many conspiracy theories about them are, to say the least, outlandish—lizard people controlling them is highly unlikely—you don’t need to explore the extremes to uncover intriguing and often peculiar tales about the Freemasons and their intricate legacy. From enduring a papal ban that has lasted nearly three centuries to profoundly influencing American politics, here are 11 key insights into the Freemasons.

1. Freemasonry has deeper historical roots than commonly believed.

While many believe Freemasonry began in 1717 with the establishment of the first Grand Lodge in England, this lodge was actually created to oversee Masonic lodges that were already active. The origins of the order trace back to the late 16th century, when William Schaw, a renowned Scottish stonemason responsible for royal constructions, introduced a set of professional and ethical guidelines for stonemasons. These guidelines, known as the Schaw Statutes, emphasized loyalty, charity, and brotherhood among craftsmen, laying the groundwork for the Freemasons' organizational principles. The oldest known Masonic lodge, established in Edinburgh around 1600, has records dating back to January 1599.

2. Symbolism plays a crucial role in Freemasonry, though even members debate the meaning of the letter G.

Symbols have always played a vital role in Freemasonry, serving as tools to encode and convey essential Masonic principles. Some symbols, like the Eye of Providence—a solitary eye within a triangle symbolizing the omnipresent gaze of a higher power—are quite straightforward. Others, however, remain more enigmatic and less easily deciphered.

One of Freemasonry’s most iconic symbols carries an inherent mystery that even its members can’t fully explain—or choose not to disclose. Many versions of the Masonic square and compasses—a pair of compasses placed atop a builder’s square, symbolizing self-control and ethical integrity—feature a letter G at their center. The meaning of this letter is debated: some sources suggest it represents God, the Great Architect of the Universe, while others believe it refers to geometry, a discipline crucial to the original stonemasons and still symbolically significant to modern Freemasons.

As with many aspects of Freemasonry, numerous myths surround its symbols, including the popular claim that the Eye of Providence on the U.S. dollar bill is a Masonic reference. According to National Geographic, Benjamin Franklin, the only known Mason on the design committee, proposed a seal design that excluded the eye, which was ultimately rejected.

3. The Boston Tea Party is believed to have been organized in a Masonic lodge.

Freemasonry arrived in Massachusetts in 1733 with the founding of St. John’s Grand Lodge in Boston. The Paul Revere Memorial Association notes that St. Andrew’s Lodge was established 23 years later, in 1756, and by 1764, it had acquired the Green Dragon Tavern as its meeting place. While the Freemasons held their gatherings on the tavern’s first floor, the Sons of Liberty, known for their bold political actions, are said to have convened in the basement. This group played a pivotal role in events that would reshape global history.

A watercolor sketch by Boston artist John Johnston depicts the Green Dragon Tavern with the caption, “Where we met to Plan the Consignment of a few Shiploads of Tea, Dec 16, 1773.” This date marks the infamous night when colonists, disguised as Native Americans, threw over 92,000 pounds of British tea into Boston Harbor, a defining moment in American history.

There’s strong evidence suggesting Freemasons played a role beyond merely offering a venue for the Sons of Liberty. The St. Andrew’s Lodge meeting scheduled for December 16, 1773, was canceled due to low turnout. It’s likely that members were preoccupied with dumping tea into Boston Harbor rather than attending to their Masonic duties that evening.

4. Freemasons were implicated in a notorious 19th-century murder case.

It may seem unbelievable, but there was a period in American history when political fervor was driven by fears of a clandestine government run by influential elites willing to eliminate anyone threatening to reveal their secrets.

Freemasonry is believed to have formally arrived in America during the 1730s with the establishment of Grand Lodges in Philadelphia and Boston. By 1826, the organization counted prominent political figures like New York Governor DeWitt Clinton among its members. (Andrew Burt, author of American Hysteria: The Untold Story of Mass Political Extremism in the United States, notes that 13 signers of the Constitution, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, were Masons.) Growing suspicions about the secretive group reached a peak in 1826 when William Morgan was taken from a jail in western New York, placed in a carriage, and never seen again. Morgan had allegedly infiltrated Masonic gatherings and, alongside newspaper publisher David C. Miller, was preparing to publish a book revealing Freemasonry’s secrets.

The Masons were far from pleased, and Morgan and Miller became targets of what seemed to be a concerted effort to silence them. Masons allegedly burned down Miller’s printing shop, and Morgan was arrested on inflated charges of petty theft and unpaid debts. (The local sheriff was rumored to be collaborating with the Masons.) On the night of September 11, 1826, Morgan was released from jail by a group of Masons, after which he vanished without a trace.

Although Morgan’s body was never recovered, many claimed he had been killed and dismembered in a horrifying Masonic ceremony. This event became a rallying point for the growing anti-Masonic movement, which quickly escalated into widespread hysteria. Four individuals were eventually found guilty of crimes connected to the abduction, including, as Burt notes, “forcibly transporting Morgan against his will,” but they received lenient sentences. The real impact of Morgan’s disappearance unfolded in the political sphere.

5. Freemasons sparked the creation of America’s first third party.

Freemasonry is responsible for introducing several fundamental elements of the American electoral system, such as nominating conventions, party platforms, and the concept of third-party candidates. These innovations began in 1828 with the formation of the Anti-Masonic Party, the nation’s first third party. Notable figures in the Anti-Masonic movement included future president Millard Fillmore and William Seward, who would later serve as Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of state.

Fueled primarily by the mysterious disappearance of William Morgan, the Anti-Masonic Party achieved notable success in local and state elections before organizing the nation’s first national political convention ahead of the 1832 presidential election. However, their momentum waned after that. Their candidate, William Wirt, secured only Vermont, earning the party a mere seven electoral votes, and most of its members eventually shifted allegiance to the Whig Party.

6. Anti-Masonic hysteria has not been unique to America.

In the UK, journalist Martin Short sparked controversy with his 1989 book Inside the Brotherhood, which explored connections between Freemasons and the nation’s law enforcement agencies.

Italy experienced its own, far stranger Freemasonry scandal. In 1981, Italian authorities seized the membership list of a Masonic lodge called Propaganda Due, or P2. The list contained nearly 1000 names, including politicians, police officers, military leaders, judges, journalists, and business executives. The lodge was later linked to a series of violent and subversive activities, from bombings to the assassination of banker Roberto Calvi. The lodge’s grandmaster, Licio Gelli (referred to by members as “King Cobra”), faced numerous investigations and was charged with multiple crimes, including espionage, fraud, and obstruction of justice.

Regarding P2, the lodge was accused of attempting to “undermine the constitutional framework of the nation,” as stated in a government report, and was suspected of playing a role in a banking crisis that strained relations between the Italian government and the Vatican. As the saying goes: It’s not paranoia if a secret society genuinely aims to destabilize your financial systems and overthrow your government.

7. Female Freemasons exist—in a way.

Although Freemasonry officially remains a male-only organization, there are affiliated lodges that welcome women. England hosts two exclusively female Grand Lodges: the Order of Women Freemasons, founded in 1908, and the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons, established in 1913. These women’s lodges adhere to the same principles and rituals as their male counterparts, even addressing members as “Brothers.”

While all-female lodges are a more modern development, there may have been female Freemasons centuries earlier. Elizabeth St. Leger Aldworth, who passed away in 1773, was reportedly initiated into Freemasonry in 1712 after accidentally observing a Masonic ceremony. Similarly, Kentucky’s Catherine Sweet Babington was inducted around 1831 [PDF] under comparable circumstances. After being caught eavesdropping on a lodge meeting, she was deemed to possess the knowledge of a Master Mason, leading the lodge to formally recognize her as one.

8. Historically Black Masonic lodges have also existed.

In 1775, Prince Hall, a Black abolitionist, and 14 other Black men were initiated into a Masonic lodge primarily linked to British soldiers stationed at Boston Harbor. (The Medford Historical Society and Museum notes that they had been rejected by the city’s all-white lodges.) When the British Army departed, Hall and his fellow Masons were granted restricted rights to practice Masonic traditions; they could hold meetings and perform funeral rites but were barred from conducting most other rituals. In 1784, they received a full charter from the Grand Lodge of England, establishing America’s first Black Masonic lodge and founding Prince Hall Freemasonry. Hall is celebrated as Freemasonry’s first Black grand master.

As reported by The Guardian, Prince Hall Freemasonry has expanded into the largest Black fraternal organization globally, boasting over 4500 lodges worldwide. Notable Prince Hall Masons include W.E.B. DuBois, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, Alex Haley, “Sugar” Ray Robinson, and Richard Pryor.

9. The Catholic Church opposes Freemasonry.

Freemasons must declare their belief in a “Supreme Being” to join the organization—yet this requirement hasn’t earned them any goodwill from the Catholic Church, which strictly prohibits its members from becoming Freemasons, considering it a grave sin. According to Father William Saunders of Saint Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington, Virginia, the Church views Freemasonry as “a quasi-religion” and criticizes its ceremonies, which allegedly “distort Christianity.” The Church has maintained this stance since 1738 and has reiterated its prohibition at least 21 times since then.

However, the animosity is mutual. In 1886, prominent Freemason Albert Pike denounced the papacy as “the tormentor and scourge of humanity,” vividly claiming that, “with its robes soaked in the blood of countless victims and the stench of burned flesh lingering, it revels in the prospect of renewed power.”

10. The phrase the third degree likely originates from Freemasonry.

To achieve the rank of Third Degree, or Master Mason, a candidate must endure a rigorous questioning session by senior lodge members—a process believed to have inspired the expression give someone the third degree, as noted by the Online Etymology Dictionary.

11. At least 15 U.S. presidents are said to have been Freemasons.

As per the Truman Library, U.S. presidents confirmed as Masons include George Washington, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman. While not definitively proven, it is widely speculated that Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were also members of the Freemasons.