Who Are the Freemasons?
No one knows with certainty how or when the Masonic Fraternity was formed. A widely accepted theory
among Masonic scholars is that it arose from the stonemasons’ guilds during the Middle Ages. The
language and symbols used in the fraternity’s rituals come from this era. The oldest document that
makes reference to Masons is the Regius Poem, printed around 1390, which was a copy
of an earlier work. In 1717, four lodges in London formed the first Grand Lodge of England, and
records from that point on are more complete.
Within 30 years, the fraternity had spread throughout Europe and the American Colonies. Freemasonry
became very popular in Colonial America. George Washington was a Mason, Benjamin Franklin served as
the head of the fraternity in Pennsylvania, as did Paul Revere and Joseph Warren in Massachusetts.
Other well-known Masons involved with the founding of America included John Hancock, John Sullivan,
Lafayette, Baron Fredrick von Stuben, Nathanael Greene, and John Paul Jones. Another Mason, Chief
Justice John Marshall, shaped the Supreme Court into its present form.
Over the centuries, Freemasonry has developed into a world-wide fraternity
emphasizing personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via individual involvement and
philanthropy. During the late 1700s, it was one of the organizations most responsible for spreading
the ideals of the Enlightenment: the dignity of man and the liberty of the individual, the right of
all persons to worship as they choose, the formation of democratic governments, and the importance
of public education. Freemasons supported the first public schools in both Europe and America.
During the 1800s and early 1900s, Freemasonry grew dramatically. At that time, the government had
provided no social "safety net.” The Masonic tradition of founding orphanages, homes for widows and
homes for the aged provided the only security many people knew.
Today’s Freemasons are widely involved in a range of charity and community service activities. In
fact, the Masonic Fraternity gives almost $1.5 million each day to both Masonic and non-Masonic
charities locally, nationally and internationally. The causes they support range from operating
children’s hospitals, providing treatment for childhood language disorders, treating eye diseases,
funding medical research, contributing to local community service, and providing care to Freemasons
and their families at Masonic Homes.