Editing Freemasonry (section)

====Prince Hall Freemasonry====
{{Main|Prince Hall Freemasonry}}

Prince Hall Freemasonry exists because of the refusal of early American lodges to admit African Americans. In 1775, an African American named [[Prince Hall]],<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.mindspring.com/~johnsonx/whoisph.htm
| title = Who is Prince Hall? And other well known Prince Hall Masons
| first = Lawrence
| last = Johnson
| year = 1996
| access-date = 14 November 2005
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070602065851/http://www.mindspring.com/~johnsonx/whoisph.htm
| archive-date = 2 June 2007
| url-status=dead
| df = dmy-all
}}
</ref> along with 14 other African American men, was initiated into a British military lodge with a warrant from the [[Grand Lodge of Ireland]], having failed to obtain admission from the other lodges in [[Boston]]. When the British military Lodge left North America after the end of the Revolution, those 15 men were given the authority to meet as a Lodge, but not to initiate Masons. In 1784, these individuals obtained a Warrant from the Grand Lodge of England (Premiere Grand Lodge) and formed [[African Lodge No. 459|African Lodge, Number 459]]. When the two English grand lodges united in 1813, all U.S.-based Lodges were stricken from their rolls&mdash;largely because of the [[War of 1812]]. Thus, separated from both English jurisdiction and any concordantly recognised U.S. Grand Lodge, African Lodge retitled itself as the African Lodge, Number 1&mdash;and became a ''de facto'' Grand Lodge. (This lodge is not to be confused with the various Grand Lodges in Africa.) As with the rest of U.S. Freemasonry, Prince Hall Freemasonry soon grew and organised <!-- NOTE: THIS ARTICLE USES UK SPELLING ... which spells this word with an "s" and not a "z". --> on a Grand Lodge system for each state.<ref>[http://www.princehall.org/History/Ray%20Colemans%20History.pdf "Prince Hall History Education Class" by Raymond T. Coleman(pdf)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223554/http://www.princehall.org/History/Ray%20Colemans%20History.pdf |date=3 March 2016 }} retrieved 13 October 2013</ref>

Unlike other fraternal orders, there was never any blanket rule against the admission of men based on their race. Each lodge and grand lodge had their own rules, both written and unwritten. A few non-Prince Hall lodges did admit Blacks, with [[Angelo Soliman]] being one notable Masonic personality of African descent. Nonetheless, widespread [[racial segregation]] in 19th- and early 20th-century North America made it difficult for African Americans to join Lodges outside of Prince Hall jurisdictions.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Today most (but not all) U.S. Grand Lodges recognise their Prince Hall counterparts, and the authorities of both traditions are working towards full recognition.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://bessel.org/masrec/phamapshistorical.htm
| title = Prince Hall Masonry Recognition details: Historical Maps
| first = Paul M.
| last = Bessel
| access-date = 14 November 2005
| archive-date = 13 December 2010
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101213215140/http://bessel.org/masrec/phamapshistorical.htm
| url-status = live
}}</ref> The United Grand Lodge of England has no problem with recognising Prince Hall Grand Lodges.<ref>[http://www.ugle.org.uk/about/foreign-grand-lodges "Foreign Grand Lodges"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022100731/http://ugle.org.uk/about/foreign-grand-lodges |date=22 October 2013 }}, ''UGLE Website'', retrieved 25 October 2013</ref> While celebrating their heritage as lodges of African Americans, Prince Hall is open to all men regardless of race or religion.<ref>[http://www.princehall-pa.org/GrandLodge/glhist.htm "History of Prince Hall Masonry: What is Freemasonry"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131119011047/http://www.princehall-pa.org/grandlodge/glhist.htm |date=19 November 2013 }}, ''Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania'', retrieved 25 October 2013</ref>