This is a collection of stories intended to be morality tales for Masons and their admirers. Numerous nineteenth century writers saw a market for fiction whose intention was to inculcate the values of a popular, redefined Freemasonry. The result was a folklore that has been likened to a Disney version of the Craft. While there are a variety of themes presented, Victorian values of family and chivalry appear in contrast with previous Masonic imagery that drew on the Enlightenment. The invoking of nature is seen in pieces like "Blue Hyacinth," "The Countryside," "An Autumnal Thought," and "The Moonlight on the Mound." The sentimentalism was new to the fraternity and became ritualistically incorporated in auxiliaries such as the Eastern Star and Amaranth.

An overview of the mysterious history of the Freemasons and their presence in American society With over four million members worldwide, and two million in the U.S., Freemasonry is the largest fraternal organization in the world. Published in conjunction with the National Heritage Museum, this extravagantly illustrated volume offers an overview of Freemasonry’s origins in seventeenth-century Scotland and England before exploring its evolving role in American history, from the Revolution through the labor and civil rights movements, and into the twenty-first century. American Freemasons explores some of the causes for the rise and fall of membership in the fraternity and why it has attracted men in such large numbers for centuries. American Freemasons is the perfect introduction to understanding a society that, while shrouded in mystery, has played an integral role in the lives and communities of millions of Americans. Copublished with the National Heritage Museum.

Culled from little-known Masonic texts of the 1800s and early 1900s, this volume is a must-read for anyone curious about the Masonic ties of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, John Sullivan, and Joseph Warren, or who is interested in a new perspective on the designs of America.