Anti-Masonic Party

The Anti-Masonic Party

The United States' Anti-Masonic Party (1827 - about 1834)
had as it's first Presidential Candidate a MASON!

In 1831, the Anti-Masonic Party nominated William Wirt as their candidate for the presidency at their first national convention which was held in Baltimore, Maryland.

Wirt was not only a Freemason, but even defended the Order in a speech before the convention that nominated him.

The Anti-Masonic Party was the first and original third party to be active on the national scene. It was a reaction to the supposed Masonic threat to public institutions. Although secret societies in general were frowned upon by early 19th century Americans, the Freemasons long continued exempt from criticism—perhaps because George Washington and other statesmen and soldiers of the Revolutionary period had been Masons. Indeed, in the first quarter of the 19th century membership is a Masonic Lodge was almost a necessity for political preferment.

Popular opinion in America generally opposed secret organizations, but Freemasonry largely escaped this scrutiny because so many prominent citizens were members. In fact it is now known that it is not a secret society at all but a society with a few secrets, mainly dealing with the opening and closing of the Lodges, recognition, and becoming a Mason.

William Morgan

Exemption from criticism ended for the Masons in 1826. In that year a bricklayer from Batavia, New York, William Morgan, disappeared. He had formerly been a Mason and was said to be on the verge of publishing an exposé of Masonic secrets. Ties between Morgan’s disappearance and the Masons were never established, but critics use the event to turn their wrath on the fraternal organization.

Anti-Masonic fervor was especially strong in New York State, where the political machine, the Albany Regency, was run by Martin Van Buren, a Mason. Opposition was led by William H. Seward and Thurlow Weed, who attempted to stir up the democratic ire of the poorer elements of New York society. The Anti-Masonic Party was the first party to hold a nominating convention and the first to announce a platform. A state Anti-Masonic party was formed in 1828 and was successful with electing local and statewide candidates; the party also spread into neighboring states.

In 1831, the anti-Masonic Party held a national convention and nominated William Wirt as their presidential candidate for the following year. Wirt had been the U.S. Attorney General and, strangely, a Mason. Running against the popular Andrew Jackson, (a Mason)
Wirt did poorly, carrying only the state of Vermont. New York leaders attempted, unsuccessfully, to persuade Henry Clay who was a Mason, to renounce the Order and head the movement Their prime impact had been to drain votes away from a, Henry Clay.

Around 1834, the Anti-Masonic Party began a rapid disintegration with some of its members helping to establish the new Whig Party.

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