Feb 22, 2011
THE NATIONAL TREASURE ::: FREMASONARY FACTS
In November 2004 a motion picture titled “National Treasure” was released by Touchstone Pictures in the US. Because movies and books involving Freemasonry normally create questions, we’ll try to provide some facts for you here.
We could weave a fanciful story – much like the movie does – based on myth and imagination. There are certainly Masons who will wink conspiratorially, maybe even themselves convinced by the movie that Masons built the United States. Although the Masonic fraternity was a strong unifying force for those of varying social classes who, for the first time, were coming together as equals (a central concept of Freemasonry), the organization itself was not 'directing' or 'coordinating' the actions which caused the formation of the country.
The movie's plot line is that an order of European Knights had amassed a huge amount of priceless treasure. It was brought to the United States and hidden by Masons in a secret location to keep it out of the hands of the British. The film has been characterized by many as having more holes in the plot line than Swiss cheese but it has nevertheless met with significant success. It has been suggested that this film was rushed into theaters in order to precede the anticipated publication of the next Dan Brown (of DaVinci Code fame) novel about - you guessed it - Freemasonry!
Certainly the film projects the fraternity in a reasonably positive way but we're sure that some questions will arise as a result.
Was Freemasonry involved with the American Revolution? NO! Were Freemasons involved? Yes, they were - and they brought many of the ideas taught in Freemasonry (that of toleration in particular but also the concept that men could work together regardless of prior 'station' in life) to the newly forming country. Is there some 'hidden knowledge' or secret treasure out there that they've somehow withheld? Ah, if only.....
2. Masonry moved quickly to the European continent – especially France – and immediately thereafter to the North American Colonies. The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, for example, dates its founding from 1733.
We could weave a fanciful story – much like the movie does – based on myth and imagination. There are certainly Masons who will wink conspiratorially, maybe even themselves convinced by the movie that Masons built the United States. Although the Masonic fraternity was a strong unifying force for those of varying social classes who, for the first time, were coming together as equals (a central concept of Freemasonry), the organization itself was not 'directing' or 'coordinating' the actions which caused the formation of the country.
The movie's plot line is that an order of European Knights had amassed a huge amount of priceless treasure. It was brought to the United States and hidden by Masons in a secret location to keep it out of the hands of the British. The film has been characterized by many as having more holes in the plot line than Swiss cheese but it has nevertheless met with significant success. It has been suggested that this film was rushed into theaters in order to precede the anticipated publication of the next Dan Brown (of DaVinci Code fame) novel about - you guessed it - Freemasonry!
Certainly the film projects the fraternity in a reasonably positive way but we're sure that some questions will arise as a result.
Here are some other facts:
1. Freemasonry in its present form dates to 1717. Although there is one lodge in Scotland with records back to 1599 and some vague references to various manuscripts which mention ‘masons’ going back to the 1300s, the organization today dates from the creation of a Grand Lodge by three lodges of ‘speculative’ (as differentiated from ‘operative’) Masons in 1717.2. Masonry moved quickly to the European continent – especially France – and immediately thereafter to the North American Colonies. The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, for example, dates its founding from 1733.
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