History

What is the origin of freemasonry

Historical accounts point to an origin in associations of operative stonemasons and medieval builders, rejecting speculative connections to ancient Greeks, Egyptians, or Druids. Throughout the Middle Ages, fraternities of travelling architects developed Gothic architecture and held a monopoly on its secrets while building cathedrals across Europe. Traditional manuscript Constitutions trace the Craft's corporate authority to a general assembly called at York by Prince Edwin under King Athelstan. The modern institutional structure was formally organized in 1717 with the formation of the Grand Lodge at London, after which James Anderson digested these older manuscript records into the published 1723 Constitutions.

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