Masonic Order of Liberia

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The Masonic Order of Liberia is a fraternal organization based on the principles of Freemasonry.

1 Origins
2 Expansion
3 Political Dominion
4 Backlash
5 Liberia's Civil War
6 References

[edit] Origins

It was brought to Liberia by former slaves from the United States who were "returned" to Africa under the auspices of the American Colonization Society, a 19th century U.S. group advocating the freeing of African American slaves. The former slaves' knowledge of Freemasonry had to have been gained covertly, as they were not eligible for admission to the organization and its rituals are not open to outsiders. Members of this Order are not regarded as being "regular" Masons by most mainstream Grand Lodges.

[edit] Expansion

The Grand Lodge of Liberia is The Ancient, Free and Accepted Masonic Lodge which was founded in 1867.^[1] By the 1970's there were 17 subordinate lodges and the majority of Liberia's high ranking officials were Masons.^[2]

[edit] Political Dominion

Matters of state are widely believed to have been dealt with in the lodges.^[3] Being a Mason was a veritable prerequisite for positions of political leadership in the True Whig Party, which for over a century was the nation's only legal political organization.^[4] Liberia's Masons were criticized for this as well as for the exclusion of indigenous Liberians from their ranks.^[5] In Liberia, Masonry became associated with the Americo-Liberian elite. Members of the local tribes were only invited in to the order by virtue of their education and being fostered by Americo-Liberian families.^[6]

[edit] Backlash

After Master Sgt. Samuel Doe assumed leadership in a coup d'etat in 1980, the political monopoly formerly held by the Americo-Liberians was destroyed and the Masonic Order's influence in Liberia was greatly diminished.

[edit] Liberia's Civil War

During the First Liberian Civil War, the lodge palace in Monrovia was the scene of many battles. ^[7] and its ruins became home to 8000 squatters.^[8]. The Masons managed to evict them by in 2005^[8] and there are plans to rebuld the lodge.