The history of freemasonry in Europe and America

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

7 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

06/22/2009

Category :

History & geography

Sub category :

Medieval history

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Summary :

Introduction
A study of the Freemasonry in Britain
1. Origin
2. Role of Freemasonary
Freemasonry in America
References
Conclusion

Abstract

Organizational rules, called Old Charges, from groups or guilds of european stonemasons date back to the thirteenth or fourteenth centuries according to some historians, while others date these guilds as far back as 1057 in Scotland and 1220 in England. The first records of the speculative organization called freemasonry did not appear until the sixteenth century.

The first written record of an initiation into freemasonry was the initiation of Elias Asmole (also spelled Ashmole) in 1646. Since he was initiated into an existing lodge, other unrecorded initiations must have already happened. Asmole was well known for other reasons as well. He was an alchemist, astrologer, and Rosicrucian, in addition to being a Freemason, and the Asmolean Museum at Oxford was named for the collection he left to the university. Asmole was also one of the early members of the Royal Society. His fellow Royal Society members sometimes shared his interests. Sir Robert Moray was a Freemason, Christopher Wren was initiated, though we do not have a record of his participation, and Isaac Newton had similar interests, but did not join the Freemasons.