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While the role the spread of Freemasonry played in the early years of the history of the United States is well documented elsewhere, the backstory about who, how and in some cases, why this proliferation occurred as it did is lacking, especially in Kentucky. Towards that end, this publication is offered with intent to not only provide context, but connect the historical events that occurred behind the scenes that were untold, or perhaps even unknown by those who wrote the earlier histories of the arrival of Freemasonry in Kentucky. It is better understandable today that the men who were Freemasons prior to 1788 would seek a lodge somewhere in the area that was closer than the journey to Virginia where the closest lodge was located. However, it is also clearer today that those turbulent times involved men who were already Freemasons in leadership positions in Kentucky. Clear too is the fact that one immigrant with peculiar ties to George Washington also had a knack of finding himself involved in the middle of several historical events that led not only to statehood, but becoming one of the founding members of the first Masonic lodge in Kentucky. Evidence points the likelihood that Freemasonry was brought to Kentucky to further harvest and engender trust among early leaders rather than the long-standing belief that has stood since research in the 1930s. This likelihood also extends to the need George Washington, and his long-trusted friend and Secretary of War, Henry Knox among others seemed to have on relying heavily on the fidelity of brethren during the early years in which the United States was in its infant stage and expanding.
In the first comprehensive history of the fraternity known to outsiders primarily for its secrecy and rituals, Steven Bullock traces Freemasonry through its first century in America. He follows the order from its origins in Britain and its introduction into North America in the 1730s to its near-destruction by a massive anti-Masonic movement almost a century later and its subsequent reconfiguration into the brotherhood we know today. With a membership that included Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Paul Revere, and Andrew Jackson, Freemasonry is fascinating in its own right, but Bullock also places the movement at the center of the transformation of American society and culture from the colonial era to the rise of Jacksonian democracy. Using lodge records, members' reminiscences and correspondence, and local and Masonic histories, Bullock links Freemasonry with the changing ideals of early American society. Although the fraternity began among colonial elites, its spread during the Revolution and afterward allowed it to play an important role in shaping the new nation's ideas of liberty and equality. Ironically, however, the more inclusive and universalist Masonic ideas became, the more threatening its members' economic and emotional bonds seemed to outsiders, sparking an explosive attack on the fraternity after 1826. American History
While no one thing can entirely explain the rise of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the historical influence of Freemasonry on this religious tradition cannot be refuted. Those who study Mormonism have been aware of the impact that Freemasonry had on the founding prophet Joseph Smith during the Nauvoo period, but his involvement in Freemasonry was arguably earlier and broader than many modern historians have admitted. The fact that the most obvious vestiges of Freemasonry are evident only in the more esoteric aspects of the Mormon faith has made it difficult to recognize, let alone fully grasp, the relevant issues. Even those with both Mormon and Masonic experience may not be versed in the nineteenth-century versions of Masonry's rituals, legends, and practices. Without this specialized background, it is easy to miss the Masonic significance of numerous early Mormon ordinances, scripture, and doctrines. Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration offers a fresh perspective on the Masonic thread present in Mormonism from its earliest days. Smith's firsthand knowledge of and experience with both Masonry and anti-Masonic currents contributed to the theology, structure, culture, tradition, history, literature, and ritual of the religion he founded.
This book sheds new light on the role of religion in the nineteenth-century slavery debates. Luke E. Harlow argues that the ongoing conflict over the meaning of Christian 'orthodoxy' constrained the political and cultural horizons available for defenders and opponents of American slavery. The central locus of these debates was Kentucky, a border slave state with a long-standing antislavery presence. Although white Kentuckians famously cast themselves as moderates in the period and remained with the Union during the Civil War, their religious values showed no moderation on the slavery question. When the war ultimately brought emancipation, white Kentuckians found themselves in lockstep with the rest of the Confederate South. Racist religion thus paved the way for the making of Kentucky's Confederate memory of the war, as well as a deeply entrenched white Democratic Party in the state.