The Early Introduction of Bogus Freemasonry in the United States of America and Texas Among Colored MasonsMitchell, C. L. (Charles L.)
History
The Early Introduction of Bogus Freemasonry in the United States of America and Texas Among Colored Masons
Mitchell, C. L. (Charles L.)
African American freemasonry
The names of the Grand officers that were elected at the organization of
this spurious and irregular African Grand Lodge of Modern Masons of
Massachusetts on June 24th, 1791, was as follows:
Prince Hall Grand Master, Nero Prince, Deputy Grand Master, Cyrus
Forbes, Grand Secretary, Peter Best, Grand Treasurer.
2--Your committee have investigated and made searching inquiry to find
who took part in the organization of the African Grand Lodge of Modern
Masons among the colored Masons at Boston, Mass., on June the 24th,
1791, and it appears from the records as well as the delegates from
Massachusetts who admit and confirm the same that there was only one
Lodge and that was African Lodge No. 459 that participated in the
organization of the African Grand Lodge of Modern Masons that was
organized June 24th, 1791, at Boston, Mass., such organization of the
Grand Lodge is in open violation of Masonic laws and we cannot indorse
or approve the same.
Your committee finds according to the statements of the delegates from
Massachusetts that since the time of the organization of the African
Grand Lodge of Modern Masons in the State of Massachusetts which
occurred June 24th, 1791, that no steps or effort had been made or
taken by the officers and members of the African Grand Lodge of Modern
Masons of Massachusetts to have said Grand Lodge Masonically legalized
and set right.
Your committee is wholly unable to find or secure any genuine
information that even a charter was ever granted by the Grand Lodge of
England for the establishing of African Lodge No. 459 at Boston, Mass.
Your committee has investigated various printed proceedings of the
African Grand Lodge of Massachusetts which name was changed in the year
of 1808 to the name of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and
we cannot find the name of African Lodge No. 459 printed in any of the
Grand Lodge proceedings of Massachusetts.
Your committee is unable to find or be placed in the possession of any
genuine information that would lead the committee to believe that there
was ever a charter granted by the Grand Lodge of England to Prince Hall
and his associates at Boston, Mass.
Your committee finds further that the so-often repeated statement made
by some of the less informed brothers of our race that the color line
and prejudice had been the cause in the State of Massachusetts and other
places throughout the country and especially in the northern states in
the refusal of some of the White Grand Lodges of Masons in denying us
recognition was not based on account of color but it was predicated
solely upon the grounds that the origin of Freemasonry among the Colored
Masons in the State of Massachusetts was unlawful and irregular.
Committee:
JOHN G. JONES, of Illinois,
W. R. LAWTON, of Missouri,
B. F. ROGERS, of Illinois,
H. D. VENA, of Michigan,
J. H. BANKS, of Rhode Island.
The above named committee report was adopted forty-one to ten.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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