The Early Introduction of Bogus Freemasonry in the United States of America and Texas Among Colored Masons

Compiled in 1908 by a senior Texas Masonic officer, this work dives into the contentious birth of so‑called “colored” Freemasonry in America. It opens with a sharp rebuke of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, questioning its claim to a 1775 charter allegedly issued by a traveling lodge attached to General Gage’s regiment. The author traces how that disputed origin allegedly spread northward and later took root in Texas, framing the whole phenomenon as a clandestine, self‑styled fraternity.

Listeners will find a meticulously documented, polemical history that blends personal testimony, contemporary Masonic correspondence, and legal arguments about legitimacy. The narrative focuses on the early decades, exposing the motives of the leaders who fashioned their own rituals and titles, and it reveals the intense feelings such accusations provoked within the broader Masonic community. Ideal for anyone curious about fraternal organizations, early African‑American institutions, or the interplay of legitimacy and dissent in secret societies.