Freemasonry is a fraternal organization with members from all walks of life. Historically, Freemasons have been prominent in politics and public service, and several vice presidents of the United States have been Freemasons. These vice presidents had various backgrounds and served during different eras, but they all shared a common bond in their membership in this ancient organization. In this article, we will explore the lives of some of the most famous Freemason vice presidents and their contributions to our nation.
John Adams was the Vice President of the United States from 1789 to 1797, and he was also a Freemason. He was initiated into Freemasonry in 1765 at the St. Andrew’s Lodge in Boston, Massachusetts. He would go on to become a charter member of Rising States Lodge in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1790. Adams held numerous Masonic offices throughout his lifetime, including Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts from 1792 -1793. Adams believed staunchly in the principles of Freemasonry and its importance to the political landscape of America.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was a prominent figure in American history, and he is often referred to as the author of the Declaration of Independence. He also served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. In addition to his political career, Jefferson was also a Freemason and Vice President of the United States.
Jefferson’s involvement in Freemasonry began early in life when he joined the Lodge of Virginia at age 20. He went on to become a Grand Master in 1785 and Grand Commander in 1802. He was an active member of several Masonic lodges throughout his life and wrote extensively on the subject, including a book entitled “A Treatise on Masonry”.
Jefferson was an ardent supporter of Freemasonry, believing that it promoted tolerance and understanding among its members, regardless of race or religion. He also saw it as an important tool for creating a more cohesive society that could better serve its citizens.
Jefferson’s involvement with Freemasonry not only contributed to his political success but also had significant impacts on his personal life. Through his involvement with Masonic lodges, he was able to make important connections with powerful figures in politics and business. This gave him access to invaluable resources and helped him advance his career.
In addition to being an active Freemason himself, Thomas Jefferson was also influential in encouraging others to join Masonry. He believed that it could provide individuals with opportunities for self-improvement and personal growth as well as help them make positive contributions to their communities. Through his efforts, many prominent figures such as John Adams, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington Carver, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington joined Masonic lodges during their lifetime.
It is clear that Thomas Jefferson had a profound influence on Freemasonry throughout his lifetime. His commitment to promoting tolerance among members regardless of race or religion helped create an atmosphere where individuals could come together for mutual benefit and support each other during difficult times. His efforts continue to have an impact even today as Freemasons around the world honor him for his contributions to their organization’s growth and development.
George Washington
George Washington was the first President of the United States of America. He was a Revolutionary War hero and is considered to be one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was also a Freemason, making him one of several presidents who have been members of the fraternity. Washington’s presidency was marked by many accomplishments, including leading the country through its first successful war and laying down the foundations for its government and economy. He is widely admired as one of America’s greatest presidents and has been honored with many monuments and memorials throughout history.
John Adams
John Adams was the second President of the United States and served from 1797 to 1801. Prior to his presidency, he had a long career as a lawyer, diplomat, and statesman which included being a delegate to the Continental Congress and helping draft both the Declaration of Independence and U.S Constitution. Adams is sometimes referred to as “the father of American government” because of his influential role in establishing an effective federal government during his time in office. He was also a Freemason, making him another president who has been part of this fraternal organization.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States, serving from 1801 to 1809. He is best known for drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776 during his time as a delegate to the Continental Congress from Virginia. Jefferson’s presidency saw much success in foreign policy, with Louisiana Purchase being signed into law in 1803 while he was in office. Like many other presidents before him, Thomas Jefferson was also a Freemason while he served as president.
James Madison
James Madison served as fourth President from 1809-1817 and is widely considered one of America’s founding fathers due to his crucial role in helping draft both U.S Constitution and Bill Rights during his time in Congress prior to becoming president. His presidency saw major success with regard to foreign policy, including successful negotiations with Britain that resulted in Treaty of Ghent being signed into law in 1814 which ended War Of 1812 between two nations. James Madison too was part or Freemasonry fraternity while he held office as president .
James Monroe
James Monroe served as fifth President from 1817-1825 and is best remembered for forming what has come to be known as Monroe Doctrine which declared that European colonization or interference would not be tolerated on newly independent nations within Americas borders . During his tenure there were major expansionist policies enacted such as acquisition Texas , Florida from Spain . James Monroe too belonged Masonic fraternity while he held office .
Elbridge Gerry – Vice President, Freemason
Elbridge Gerry was an American statesman and diplomat who served as the fifth Vice President of the United States under President James Madison. He was also a member of the Freemasons, a secret society that has been active since the 17th century. Gerry’s involvement in politics began in the Massachusetts General Court, where he rose to become Speaker of the House from 1776-1785. He was an ardent supporter of independence from Britain and served as a delegate to both the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention. He also served as Governor of Massachusetts from 1810-1812.
Gerry’s service as Vice President was marked by controversy, particularly regarding his staunch opposition to the War of 1812. In addition, his signing of The Sedition Act in 1798 caused national uproar and led to widespread criticism from civil liberties advocates. Despite this opposition, he remained in office throughout Madison’s administration until his death in 1814.
Gerry was known to be a highly religious man and was devoted to his faith throughout his life. As a Freemason, he believed in principles such as brotherly love and charity; these values were reflected in his political actions as well. He was known for advocating for tolerance among different religions and for promoting social justice through public education initiatives. Gerry also held strong views on slavery; although he did not publicly oppose it, he did support gradual emancipation efforts while serving in Congress.
Gerry’s legacy is remembered today for his political contributions at home and abroad during the early days of American independence, but also for his commitment to religious freedom and social justice values that remain relevant today. His involvement with Freemasonry is also remembered; it is likely that this secret society provided him with valuable insight into how people can work together for common goals despite differences in religion or background.
Daniel D. Tompkins – Vice President, Freemason
Daniel D. Tompkins was a prominent politician and Freemason. A native of Scarsdale, New York, he served as the fourth Vice President of the United States from 1817 to 1825 under James Monroe. He was also Governor of New York from 1807 to 1817 and from 1825 to 1828.
Tompkins was an active member of the Masonic fraternity, joining Richmond Lodge No. 33 in Richmondtown, Staten Island in 1793. He was admitted to Amicable Lodge No. 16 in Jamaica, Queens County on June 24th, 1795 and went on to become a Master Mason in June 1797 at Union Lodge No. 12 in New York City.
Tompkins’s Masonic career wasn’t just limited to being a member of various lodges; he also played an important role in organizing the Grand Lodge of New York, becoming its first Grand Master in 1799 and serving until 1801 when he resigned due to his election as Governor of New York. Tompkins also served as Deputy Grand Master from 1802-1803 and again from 1808-1809.
Tompkins’s involvement with Freemasonry extended beyond his home state of New York as well; he was appointed Deputy Grand Master Pro Tem for the state of Ohio in 1813 by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and he held this position until his death in 1825.
Throughout his life, Daniel D. Tompkins held a strong commitment to Freemasonry and its values. His dedication is remembered today through his many accomplishments within the organization and his lasting legacy as one of the most important figures of American Freemasonry.
Early Life and Education
John C. Calhoun was born in Abbeville District, South Carolina on March 18th, 1782. He attended a local school for his early education and graduated from Yale University in 1804. He studied law at the Tapping Reeve Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut and was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1807.
Career
After being admitted to the bar, Calhoun opened a law practice in Abbeville and served as a state legislator from 1808-1810. In 1811, he was elected to the US House of Representatives and served until 1817 when he was appointed Secretary of War by President James Monroe. In this role, he played an instrumental role in the development of the US Navy.
Political Career
In 1825, Calhoun started his political career as Vice President under John Quincy Adams. He served two terms as Vice President before running for president in 1832. However, he failed to win the nomination and instead ran for re-election as Vice President under Andrew Jackson and served until 1837 when he was elected to the Senate from South Carolina where he represented until his death in 1850.
Beliefs
Calhoun believed strongly in states’ rights and argued for limited federal power over individual states’ sovereignty. He also supported slavery throughout his life and argued that it should be protected by law. Additionally, he was a Freemason who joined a lodge in Charleston, South Carolina.
Legacy
Despite his controversial views on slavery, Calhoun is remembered today as one of America’s most influential politicians of the 19th century. His views on states’ rights heavily influenced American legal thought up through today and continue to shape our understanding of federalism.
Richard Mentor Johnson
Richard Mentor Johnson was an American politician who served as the ninth vice president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. He is the only vice president ever elected by the United States Senate under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment. Born in Kentucky in 1781, Johnson began his political career serving in the Kentucky House of Representatives before being elected to represent his state in Congress. A staunch supporter of Andrew Jackson, Johnson was a leading member of Jackson’s Democratic Party and played a major role in passing Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830. In 1837, he was chosen by Jackson to be his running mate as vice president and was elected into office. During his tenure, he advocated for states’ rights and slavery issues as well as supported a controversial Native American removal policy. In addition to his political career, Johnson was also a Freemason and had numerous business interests throughout his life.
Early Life
Richard Mentor Johnson was born on October 17th, 1781 in Beargrass Creek (now part of Louisville), Kentucky to John and Jemima Suggett Johnson. His father had served in both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 and his mother descended from prominent Virginian settlers. As a young man, Richard worked on his family’s plantation where he received little formal education outside of basic reading and writing. However, he did receive instruction from private tutors during this time. At age 16, Johnson left home to become a clerk at a store owned by Levi Todd in Stamping Ground near Frankfort, Kentucky.
Political Career
In 1804, Richard Mentor Johnson entered politics when he won election to represent Scott County in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He quickly rose through the ranks and eventually was appointed as Speaker of the House after only two years serving in office. In 1806, he ran for Congress but lost narrowly due to anti-Jackson sentiment that had swept through Kentucky at that time. He ran again two years later and won this time; he would hold this seat for five consecutive terms until 1819 when he resigned due to financial difficulties caused by poor investments.
Vice Presidency
In 1836, Richard Mentor Johnson became Andrew Jackson’s running mate for Vice President; their ticket won overwhelmingly with 55% of the popular vote and an electoral college landslide victory over William Henry Harrison’s Whig Party ticket. However, when it came time for voting on Vice President in the Senate per Twelfth Amendment rules (since no candidate had received more than half electoral votes), there were 35 ballots cast with no clear majority votes: 11 votes each went for Richard M..Johnson or Francis Granger while 13 went for William Smith; because no candidate did receive more than half votes on all ballots casted according to amendment rules at that time meant that unless someone got more than half votes on any ballot then it would be up to Senate itself to decide how they wanted vote put forth- which they eventually voted 28-8 for Richard M..Johnson as Vice President.
Freemason
In addition to being an influential politician during early 19th century America, Richard Mentor Johnson was also an active Freemason who joined Lexington Lodge No 1 on September 15th 1817; during which time Lodge initiated him into Third Degree Masonry just few days later after joining them on September 22nd same year following which became active member within Masonic Order until death February 19th 1850 aged 68 years old.
Schuyler Colfax – Vice President, Freemason
Schuyler Colfax was an American politician who served as the 17th Vice President of the United States from 1869 to 1873. He was a member of the Republican Party and a Freemason. He also served as a U.S. Representative from Indiana.
Colfax was born in New York City in 1823 and raised in Indiana, where he became active in politics as a young man. After serving in the state legislature, he was elected to Congress in 1854, where he quickly rose to prominence with his strong support for the Union cause during the Civil War. He became Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1863 and was reelected three times before being chosen by President Ulysses S. Grant as his running mate in 1868.
As Vice President, Colfax was a strong supporter of Grant’s Reconstruction policies and worked closely with him on legislation to protect African Americans, provide economic development for the South, and strengthen civil rights protections. After leaving office, he remained active in politics until his death in 1885.
Colfax was initiated into Freemasonry while still a young man; he eventually rose to become Grand Master of Indiana’s Grand Lodge and Grand Orator for the General Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for North America. He used his influence within the fraternity to encourage loyalty to the Union during the war years and promote racial equality afterwards. His commitment to Masonic ideals had a lasting impact on American public life and helped shape the course of Reconstruction after the war.
In addition to his political career, Colfax also wrote several books on topics ranging from history to philosophy and science; his most famous work was The Life of Ulysses S Grant (1868). His dedication to education and service earned him numerous honorary degrees throughout his life, including from Yale University and Harvard University.
Schuyler Colfax remains one of America’s most influential politicians; through his dedication to public service and commitment to Masonic ideals, he helped shape modern-day United States history.
In Reflection on Vice Presidents That Were Freemasons
The historical link between Freemasonry and the office of the Vice President of the United States is interesting and noteworthy. The great men who held both titles have contributed to the growth and development of their nation in different ways. It is no wonder then that a few of these men have been Freemasons, as the principles of fraternity, brotherhood, and service that are found within Masonry resonate strongly with those in public service.
Perhaps one of the most significant things about Vice Presidents who have been Freemasons is how this speaks to the values of America’s founders when it comes to religious tolerance. These men were able to serve their country regardless of their faith, demonstrating that the principles behind our nation’s founding are still relevant today. In addition, these men have shown that one can be a part of a fraternal organization while still being dedicated to serving their country.
Therefore, it’s important to note that Masonry has been an important part of our nation’s history since its inception. The fact that some Vice Presidents have been Freemasons is a testament to this long-standing connection between Masonry and our nation’s leaders. We can look back at these men as examples of how service and fraternity can work together towards a greater good for all Americans.