Freemasonry Crosses The Atlantic

As previously noted, Freemasonry had its documented origins in Europe and traces its history there across a span of almost eight centuries. Freemasonry in the United States had its beginnings in colonial times, the American lodges of that period usually receiving their charters from the grand lodges of England or Scotland. The early American lodges, located primarily along the Atlantic seaboard, worked under the European authorities until the Revolution, following which Masonic grand lodges were formed in the original colonies. The American lodges received new charters from their respective grand lodges and Freemasonry in this country has grown steadily from that base, there being over two million members in the lodges existing all over the United States. In 1996 the Grand Lodge of North Carolina A. F.& A. M. had more than 60,000 members in 385 lodges.