Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order, 1730-1840

by Steven C. Bullock

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

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Historical

448 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 1996

Reviews

[Cwn_annwn_13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revolutionary Brotherhood is a mainstream history of American Freemasonry from 1730-1840. Although he does cover the anti-Masonry political party he either ignores or quickly blows off most of the conspiratorial claims about Freemasonry. One thing he does do a good job of is showing how there are huge differences between various lodges and not all are under the same umbrella. There is also huge debate within the lodges as what Freemasonry and its true purpose actually is. As thick academic history books often are, this is dull at times. However you do get plenty of good information in this both from a mainstream historians perspective and from someone that sees Masonry in a more conspiratorial light.

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best books on the subject of Freemasonry during the American Revolution. First, it is nice to have a non-mason author who is able to have a well-researched work free of typical exaggerated biases.

I would have given it more stars if not for two major weaknesses, first the author repeats himself quite frequently reiterating the same points over and over again. This could have been done more concisely with the same overall effect. Second the author's writing style is incredibly dry and reads like more like an Encyclopedia, which is a shame given the fascinating subject matter.

This book had some real potential to put to rest several of the most widely circulated conspiracy theories and paint an accurate picture once and for all. It comes close to do this but just falls short.

Pre-Revolutionary Masonry

"Colonial Masonry was not a middle-class order that embraced a wide range of members. Instead, membership was restricted almost exclusively to men of rank"

"The spread of Masonry across the Atlantic formed part of the eighteenth-century Anglicization of American elites, their increasing adoption of English ways"

"Through its concern for the common good and its use of the verbal and visual symbols of enlightened gentility, Masonry thus identified itself as a brotherhood of cosmopolitan and respected men joining together to better society"

Revolutionary Masonry

"Colonial Masonry helped blunt and buffer the divisive forces of ethnicity, religion, and nationality"

"Masonic Lodges thus brought together a large cross section of their city's most important men"

"Masonry admits of no rank except the priority of merit and its only aritocracy is the nobility of virtue" -Clinton deWitt

[Drew Ames · Rating 2 out of 5]

The star guidance here at Goodreads has two stars meaning "it was okay," and three stars as "I liked it."

In that case, this book gets two and a half stars. Sometimes I really liked it, and sometimes it was simply okay.

Part of the issue is that Revolutionary Brotherhood is a scholarly work and it has been close to 20 years since I got my master's degree and was in the practice of reading this kind of scholarship. And it was really the book's structure that threw me off. Each section of each chapter would start with a few pages laying out the thesis, then spend the next several pages explaining the background and presenting evidence for that thesis, and then would end with a summary of all the evidence and restate the thesis. I tended to get frustrated with the repetition inherent in that formula. That's where it was merely "okay."

Where I liked it is that there is some really good history here — both of Freemasonry and of American society in its first Century as a new nation. I am a Master Mason from Pennsylvania and learned a lot about how my fraternity came here and how it helped change American society and was changed in responses to it.

[Nathan St Pierre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Masonic scholarship has come a long way since the publication of this book. However, this is largely due to the way paved by Bullock

[Gideon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe the only place to find this information, but written in a style that could tranquilize large wild animals.

[Antoninus9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the best history of early American Freemasonry ever written.