Inventing America : The Role of Freemasonry in Early Washington
for a utopian society , but one within practical reach . It was a federal system of government with a central authority and individual , subordinate lodges that were run under their own local sets of by-laws ... a guarantee of freedom of speech and faith , and , most importantly , the right of every member to vote .” 43 This strong desire to have a division of power complements the same desire manifest in the Constitution .
So the significance of the founding of the Grand Lodge is more than masonic and ceremonial . 44 Its constitution and system of checks and balances supported trends in the new nation : “ It was a federal system of government ... terms of office for officials , a description of the rules for selecting officers , provisions for financial responsibility and checks and balances , a guarantee of freedom of speech and faith , and , most importantly , the right of every member to vote . The individual lodges retain control of strictly local lodge affairs under their own sets of bylaws while the Grand Lodge administered the gener- al affairs of the order , much as state governments operate separately from the federal government .... Freemasonry was clearly a laboratory for creating a representative form of government that could be applied in a practical , real world manner .” 45
The reaction to the grand lodge ’ s independence by Maryland was particularly gracious . On May 6 , 1811 , even before taking official action , the grand secretary of Maryland wrote that the lodges might keep their original warrants after paying their dues up to the time of their formation and that the new grand lodge would indeed be recognized . The Grand Lodge of Maryland recognized the new grand lodge at its communication on July 9 , 1811 . 46
Greetings soon were received from the Grand Lodges of New York , New Jersey , Maryland , Virginia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Ohio , Kansas , Tennessee , and England . Now there was a grand lodge for the nation ’ s capital . But by no means were the respective rights of individual lodges
41 ). Norman , Oklahoma : University of Oklahoma Press . 43 Hodapp , Builders , 116 .
44 Regarding the Articles of Confederation and the ensuing development of federalism under the new constitution : “ The concept of federalism had been taken from Freemasonry , in particular , the federalism of the Grand Lodge system of Freemasonry , which had been set down in writing in Anderson ’ s Constitutions of 1723 , so the fact that the new State was not working amounted to a crisis for the federalist idea and therefore a crisis for Freemasonry .” Hagger , N . ( 2007 ). The Secret Founding of America ( p . 153 ). London : Watkins .
45 Hodapp , Builders , 116 – 118 .
46 Alexandria-Washington Lodge did not participate in the new Grand Lodge . Having been Alexandria Lodge No . 39 , under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , it was re-organized in 1788 under the Grand Lodge of Virginia . Alexandria-Washington owns the silver trowel used by General Washington , while President , in laying the corner-stone of the National Capitol 1793 , the Smithsonian Institute and the Washington National Monument , as well as the cornerstone of the Scottish Rite House of the Temple on 16 th Street , Washington . President Coolidge used it when he assisted in laying the corner stone of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial .
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