The freemason involvement in the American Revolution was multifaceted because during that time, there were really two schisms happening at the same time. You had one school of thought that came out of the principles of Jacobinism and the illumination of democracy and it's freedoms from the "Old World" or old Europe with it's oppressive and strict religions and monarchies, and you have the other which came out of the Royal Society and the Invisible College out of England and their lodges. The former school included masons like George Washington, Isaac Sears, John Adams, Patrick Henry, etc. Who were highly influenced by the dissent of the Parliament in the "Glorious Revolution", which reinstated traditional citizens' rights and began the "English Bill of Rights" stating basic freedoms from tyranny and unjust monarchy. Many of their ideas are what helped to incite the ideas of beginning to oppose King George III and his oppressive reforms in their colonial societies.
However, during this same time, you also had the second secret societies of Rosicrucians (early precursor of freemasonry) who came to America during the same years that some of the more moderate freemasons did. This occult group of masons were commissioned by Francis Bacon's Virgina Company of London and landed at Jamestown in 1607 along with the well-known Christians and Baptists, etc who had also shared the journey in the Godspeed, Discovery, and Susan Constant. What makes it indiscernible, is that some of the same rebellious ideas that the Rosicrucians had, were also shared by the more moderate masons, so ideas were complicated and there were many crossing as well as opposing lines of thought within the same revolutionary school of freemasonry thought all happening during the same time. For example, although Washington and the Sons of Liberty believed in principles of democracy and republic ideas, their partisan Rosicrucian masons disagreed about how to go about acheiving democracy and its ultimate goal for the republic. Many of these ideas were argued over in some of the first famous mason lodges, such as St. John's Lodge #1 (or Tun Tavern as it was called). Benjamin Franklin, a 33rd degree mason, was known to frequent the Tavern many times, and he knew masons out of France and England (Lodge of the Nine Sisters, Hellfire Club, etc.). So although both schools of masons believed in driving out the red coats and King George III's control, they became divided on how to proceed after the Revolution. The Rosicrucians may have financed the war; but they were far from being finished with their goals, which were to bring about Bacon's "colonization scheme" involving America becoming a true Republic and ruler of all nations. Eventually, Bacon's agents went underground out of unpopularity with the mainstream masons and overall colonial society. This time was dark for the high level masons because there were murders taking place over dissenting viewpoints of how to proceed after the Revolution. Captain Morgan Freeman tried to expose some of the inner workings of the Batavian sect but was kidnapped and murdered in 1826. After this unsought publicity, the Rosicrucian masons began immigrating back to the Premier Grand Lodge of England and even others to the Scottish Rite Lodge; however, their plan for America or the "New Atlantis" as they called it, was far from over. It is ironic in a way, how the Rosicrucians financed America's Revolution to fight off King George III, but yet, the majority of their agents lived and worked out of lodges in Britain. So was the secretive nature of these groups during the time. However, some Rosicrucian American counterparts secretly remained in New Jersey, NY, and Pennsylvania colonies with their central lodge in Quakertown, PA begun by the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis society in 1772, which included high-level masons such as Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, & later, even Abraham Lincoln. This schismatic offshoot continues today, and their operations still include major plans for revolutionary change in modern America.
As you are probably realizing as you read this answer, this particular history/information is not taught in your public schools in America for obvious reasons; however, the average American should start to become educated about what 'some' of the Freemasons were and are about, and how they affected our Revolution in 1776, and how they continue to influence our society today. There are good masons as well and they are the majority, but there are some masons who do not have the best interest of America.
Hope that helps!
However, during this same time, you also had the second secret societies of Rosicrucians (early precursor of freemasonry) who came to America during the same years that some of the more moderate freemasons did. This occult group of masons were commissioned by Francis Bacon's Virgina Company of London and landed at Jamestown in 1607 along with the well-known Christians and Baptists, etc who had also shared the journey in the Godspeed, Discovery, and Susan Constant. What makes it indiscernible, is that some of the same rebellious ideas that the Rosicrucians had, were also shared by the more moderate masons, so ideas were complicated and there were many crossing as well as opposing lines of thought within the same revolutionary school of freemasonry thought all happening during the same time. For example, although Washington and the Sons of Liberty believed in principles of democracy and republic ideas, their partisan Rosicrucian masons disagreed about how to go about acheiving democracy and its ultimate goal for the republic. Many of these ideas were argued over in some of the first famous mason lodges, such as St. John's Lodge #1 (or Tun Tavern as it was called). Benjamin Franklin, a 33rd degree mason, was known to frequent the Tavern many times, and he knew masons out of France and England (Lodge of the Nine Sisters, Hellfire Club, etc.). So although both schools of masons believed in driving out the red coats and King George III's control, they became divided on how to proceed after the Revolution. The Rosicrucians may have financed the war; but they were far from being finished with their goals, which were to bring about Bacon's "colonization scheme" involving America becoming a true Republic and ruler of all nations. Eventually, Bacon's agents went underground out of unpopularity with the mainstream masons and overall colonial society. This time was dark for the high level masons because there were murders taking place over dissenting viewpoints of how to proceed after the Revolution. Captain Morgan Freeman tried to expose some of the inner workings of the Batavian sect but was kidnapped and murdered in 1826. After this unsought publicity, the Rosicrucian masons began immigrating back to the Premier Grand Lodge of England and even others to the Scottish Rite Lodge; however, their plan for America or the "New Atlantis" as they called it, was far from over. It is ironic in a way, how the Rosicrucians financed America's Revolution to fight off King George III, but yet, the majority of their agents lived and worked out of lodges in Britain. So was the secretive nature of these groups during the time. However, some Rosicrucian American counterparts secretly remained in New Jersey, NY, and Pennsylvania colonies with their central lodge in Quakertown, PA begun by the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis society in 1772, which included high-level masons such as Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, & later, even Abraham Lincoln. This schismatic offshoot continues today, and their operations still include major plans for revolutionary change in modern America.
As you are probably realizing as you read this answer, this particular history/information is not taught in your public schools in America for obvious reasons; however, the average American should start to become educated about what 'some' of the Freemasons were and are about, and how they affected our Revolution in 1776, and how they continue to influence our society today. There are good masons as well and they are the majority, but there are some masons who do not have the best interest of America.
Hope that helps!
