Volunteer associations of all varieties form the foundation of American history and culture. By far, the oldest and largest of all American volunteer associations is Freemasonry, but what exactly is Freemasonry? Why have three centuries of American men--from Paul Revere and Ben Franklin to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Harry Truman and Thurgood Marshall--been drawn to its rituals, symbols and precepts? And why did John Quincy Adams call it "a seed of evil,which can never produce any good?"
Published in conjunction with the National Heritage Museum, this extravagantly illustrated volume offers a brief overview of Freemasonry’s origins in 17th-century Scotland and England before exploring its evolving role in American history, from the Revolution through the labor and civil rights movements, and into the 21st century. American Freemasons explores some of the causes for the rise and fall of membership in the fraternity and why it has attracted men in such large numbers for centuries. Tabbert also examines the relationship between the privacy of a Masonic lodge and the public environment of the American community.
American Freemasons is the perfect introduction to understanding a society that, while shrouded in mystery, has played an integral role in the lives and communities of millions of Americans.