William Morgan: Anti-Masons and America’s First Third Party
The Disappearance of William Morgan
Of all the characters whom pass through history, William Morgan is far from the most memorable. In fact he is still most commonly forgotten, despite his role in creating one of the most important movements in 19th century America: the anti-Mason movement. Though short lived, the anti-Mason movement had a profound impact on their time and the ramifications of their actions remain with us to this day.
Destined to become the great martyr of the anti-Masons, William Morgan first spent years trying to become part of the Freemasons. After having spent two years in Canada running a brewery ultimately destroyed by fire, Morgan returned to New York and attempted to sign up with the Batavia Masonic Lodge. His admission was denied ( the exact reasons are unknown, however it is well known that Morgan had a less than perfect character and was most likely not popular among the Batavian Masons).
William Morgan did not give up. The thought of becoming an anti-Mason was far from his mind. He joined up with the Masonic lodge in LeRoy, New York, and received the York Rite Royal Arch degree. When a new lodge was being opened up in Batavia, Morgan’s name was on the list of petitioners. The Batavian Masons grew upset at his inclusion, and a new petition was drafted with his name removed.
Furious, William Morgan declared that he would get even with the Freemasons. Joining forces with anti-Mason newspaper publisher David C. Miller, Morgan declared that he was going to publish an anti-Masonic book revealing many of the secret rites of Freemasonry under the title Illustrations of Masonry . Miller was also a rejected member of the Freemasons, unable to advance past the first degree. His bitterness engendered him to take up the anti-Mason cause with Morgan.
The Masons reacted with intense anger against William Morgan and David Miller. A newspaper article denouncing Morgan was published and several attempts were made to burn down Miller’s newspaper office, all unsuccessful.
Not letting go, the Masons used their influence to have Morgan arrested for failure to pay off debts that he had never incurred. Miller came to his rescue, paying for him to be released. Within a few hours the Masons had the would-be anti-Mason Morgan once again in jail for another loan that he had failed to repay.
Then, on September 11th, 1826, a man appeared at the jail, claiming he would pay the debt and allow Morgan to be released. Morgan went with the man who led him to a carriage outside the jail. The carriage drove off, arriving at Fort Niagara the next day. William Morgan, however, was no longer inside. He had disappeared. The great anti-Mason martyr had been born.
William Morgan Dies, the Anti-Masons Rise
Although no one is exactly sure what really happened to William Morgan after his sudden disappearance, popular perception at the time (and still today) is that he was murdered. However Masons claim that he was not in fact killed, but taken to Canada where he was given $500 to start his life anew and never return to the United States.
Morgan’s disappearance created a firestorm among the anti-Masons of New York and throughout the country. For years resentment towards the Freemasons had steadily been growing in the United States. Morgan’s disappearance was merely the catalyst for the sudden burst of anti-Masonic fervor.
The Freemasons were seen by these anti-Masons as a secretive elitist organization whose goals were completely contrary to those of democratic ideals of the United States. Their numbers had grown steadily over the years. The majority of politicians in both of the reigning parties (the National Republicans and the ruling National Democrats), especially President Andrew Jackson, a well known Mason. The anti-Masons were populists who believed in restoring the power of the country to the people.
William Morgan’s book, Illustrations of Masonry, was published and proved immensely popular. Its impact was immense. A second edition was quickly published after the first edition was sold out, however so much anti-Masonic literature had been published in the interim that in order to remain competitive the publishers were forced to cut the price of Illustrations of Masonry in half to only fifty cents.
By 1828 the anti-Masons had produced their own political party, the Anti-Masonic Party. It was the first third party in the history of the United States. In the beginning its power base was in New York, however its influence quickly spread to Pennsylvania, Vermont and throughout the rest of the United States.
Thurlow Weed, a newspaper editor in New York, was one of the most important leaders of the movement. A great political player in his own right, it was much through his work that the Anti-Masonic Party was able to make a true impact in the political climate of the days. Many other important politicians were part of the anti-Masonic movement as well, including John Quincy Adams former President of the United States.
In the lat 1820’s the anti-Masons were able to get representatives elected to state and local governors in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. In 1832 they held their first presidential nominating convention. Not only was it a first for the anti-Masons, it was a first for any political party in the United States.
Locally elected delegates from around the country were sent to Baltimore, Maryland in 1832 to nominate the anti-Masonic party candidate for President, as well as determine an official party platform. Both the Democrats and the soon to appear Whig party would pick up on this idea, and it remains an important part of American party politics to this day.
In this first ever American presidential nomination convention, the anti-Masons chose William Wirt to be their Presidential candidate and Amos Ellmaker to be Vice President. Although of course Wirt did not win he did get 7.78% of the popular vote and achieved 7 electoral votes from the state of Vermont, a feat many third parties wish they could replicate today.
Although defeated at the national level the anti-Masons did make major strides at the state level: their candidate William A. Palmer was elected governor of Vermont in 1831 and another anti-Mason was elected governor of Pennsylvania in 1835.
These victories aside, the limited focus of the anti-Masonic movement proved to make for a short lived party. By the late 1830’s they were all but gone. The anti-Mason leadership had left to become a part of the new Whig Party, that would last until the 1850’s-60’s when they were overtaken by the Republican Party.
Impact of the Anti-Masons
The anti-Masons had a large impact despite their short life. Many of their goals in fighting the Freemasons were in fact met. By the mid 1830’s the number of Masonic lodges in the United States had dropped significantly, especially in the Northeastern states where their numbers fell by half or more. Membership was down everywhere with the increasing unpopularity of the Masons.
In the states where the anti-Masons were most powerful, such as Pennsylvania or Vermont, laws were even enacted against the Masons. They prohibited the giving of oaths outside of government and disallowed much of the secrecy of the movement, such as requiring that the names of members be made available.
As the anti-Masonic movement started to dwindle in the late 1830’s the Masonic lodges started to reappear again, however they never reached the height of power and elitism they had achieved during their highpoint earlier in the century. Although the Masons still exist today they are little more mysterious than the Rotary Club, Kiwanis or the like, although there still remains a certain mystique about them.
The anti-Masons succeeded in many ways in defeating the Masons of their times. In the process they also redefined the political climate of the United States. They showed that third parties could be viable, and created the national party convention that still remains in place to this day. William Morgan could not even have imagined the impact that his stand against the Masons and their subsequent attacks on him had.
