Editing Freemasonry (section)

==Development and expansion==
===18th-century Enlightenment===
[[File:Goose and Gridiron.jpg|thumb|Goose and Gridiron, where the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, later called the [[Premier Grand Lodge of England|Grand Lodge of England]], was founded]]
During the [[Age of the Enlightenment]] in the 18th century, Freemasons comprised an international network of like-minded men, often meeting in secret in ritualistic programs at their lodges. They promoted the ideals of the Enlightenment and helped diffuse these values across Britain and France and other places. British Freemasonry offered a systematic creed with its own myths, values and set of rituals. It fostered new codes of conduct—including a communal understanding of liberty and equality inherited from guild sociability—"liberty, fraternity, and equality"<ref>Margaret C. Jacob's seminal work on Enlightenment freemasonry, Margaret C. Jacob, ''Living the Enlightenment: Free masonry and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Europe'' (Oxford University Press, 1991) p. 49.</ref> Scottish soldiers and Jacobite Scots brought to the Continent ideals of fraternity which reflected not the local system of Scottish customs but the institutions and ideals originating in the English Revolution against royal absolutism.<ref>Margaret C. Jacob, "Polite worlds of Enlightenment", in  Martin Fitzpatrick and Peter Jones, eds. ''The Enlightenment World'' (Routledge, 2004) pp. 272–287.</ref> Freemasonry was particularly prevalent in France—by 1789, there were between 50,000 and 100,000 French Masons, making Freemasonry the most popular of all Enlightenment associations.<ref>Daniel Roche, ''France in the Enlightenment'' (Harvard U.P. 1998)) p. 436.</ref>

Jacob argues that Masonic lodges probably had an effect on society as a whole, for they "reconstituted the polity and established a constitutional form of self-government, complete with constitutions and laws, elections and representatives". In other words, the micro-society set up within the lodges constituted a normative model for society as a whole. This was especially true on the Continent: when the first lodges began to appear in the 1730s, their embodiment of British values was often seen as threatening by state authorities. For example, the Parisian lodge that met in the mid-1720s was composed of English [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]] exiles.<ref>Jacob, ''Living the Enlightenment,'' pp. 20, 73, 89.</ref> Furthermore, freemasons all across Europe made reference to the Enlightenment in general in the 18th century. In French lodges, for example, the line "As the means to be enlightened I search for the enlightened" was a part of their initiation rites. British lodges assigned themselves the duty to "initiate the unenlightened". Many lodges praised the Grand Architect, the masonic terminology for the divine being who created a scientifically ordered universe.<ref>Jacob, ''Living the Enlightenment,'' pp. 145–147.</ref>

On the other hand, historian [[Robert Roswell Palmer]] noted that lodges operated separately and Masons politically did not act together as a group.<ref>Robert R. Palmer, ''The Age of the Democratic Revolution: The struggle'' (1970) p. 53</ref> American historians note that [[Benjamin Franklin]] and [[George Washington]] were leading Masons, but the significance of freemasonry in the revolution is a topic of debate.<ref>Neil L. York, "Freemasons and the American Revolution", ''The Historian'' 55#2 (1993), pp 315+.</ref> Daniel Roche contests freemasonry's claims for egalitarianism, writing that "the real equality of the lodges was elitist", only attracting men of similar social backgrounds.<ref>Roche, 437.</ref>

In long-term historical perspective, [[Norman Davies]] has argued that Freemasonry was a powerful force in Europe, from about 1700 to the twentieth century. It expanded rapidly during the Age of Enlightenment, reaching practically every country in Europe, as well as the European colonies in the New World and Asia. Davies states, "In the nineteenth century and beyond it would be strongly associated with the cause of Liberalism."<ref>{{cite book|author=Norman Davies|title=Europe: A History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrVW9W9eiYMC&pg=PA634|year=1996|publisher=Oxford UP|pages=634|isbn=978-0-19-820171-7 }}</ref> In Catholic lands it was anti-clerical and came under heavy attack from the Catholic Church. In the 20th century, it was suppressed by Fascist and Communist regimes. It was especially attractive to royalty, aristocrats and politicians and businessmen, as well as intellectuals, artists and political activists. Davies notes that prominent members included [[Montesquieu]], [[Voltaire]], [[Robert Walpole|Sir Robert Walpole]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]], [[Benjamin Franklin]], and [[George Washington]].<ref>Davis, ''Europe'' p. 634.</ref> Steven Bullock notes that in the late 18th century, English lodges were headed by the Prince of Wales, Prussian lodges by king [[Frederick the Great]], and French lodges by royal princes. Emperor Napoleon selected his own brother as the Grand Master of France.<ref>Steven C. Bullock, "Initiating the enlightenment?: recent scholarship on European freemasonry." ''Eighteenth-Century Life'' 20#1 (1996): 80–92. [https://muse.jhu.edu/article/10377/summary online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617215840/https://muse.jhu.edu/article/10377/summary |date=17 June 2018 }}</ref>

===France===
{{Further|Freemasonry in France}}
In the 18th century, liberal French politicians met together in Masonic lodges to develop some of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] ideas that dominated the [[French Revolution]] of 1789.<ref>Margaret C. Jacob, ''Living the Enlightenment: Freemasonry & Politics in Eighteenth-Century Europe'' (1992).</ref> Avner Halpern has traced French Freemasonry's major role in building France's first modern political party in 1901, [[Radical Party (France)|the Radical Party]]. It used two Masonic devices: the "civil leadership model", which Freemasonry developed in late 19th century France, and the local Masonic congresses of the Grand Orient of France federations.<ref>Avner Halpern, "Freemasonry and party building in late 19th-Century France." ''Modern & Contemporary France'' 10.2 (2002): 197–210.</ref>

===Russia===
{{Further|History of Freemasonry in Russia}}
Freemasons had been active in Russia in the 18th century, working to introduce [[Russian Enlightenment|Enlightenment ideals]]; however, they were increasingly suppressed by the government.<ref>Douglas Smith, "Freemasonry and the public in eighteenth-century Russia." ''Eighteenth-century studies'' 29.1 (1995): 25–44.</ref> According to Ludwick Hass, Freemasonry was officially illegal in Tsarist Russia, but would later be introduced by exiles who returned after the 1905 revolution. These individuals had been active Masons in Paris, where lodges were politically active in the new Radical Party. In Russia, the Freemasons supported constitutional liberalism, and maintained ties with France while simplifying many of the ceremonial rituals. Their secret meetings became a centre of progressive ideals, attracting politicians and activists. The lodges initially supported World War I, promoting close ties with France. [[Alexander Kerensky]] was an important Masonic activist who came to political power with the overthrow of the tsars, in 1917. The organization collapsed as the Bolsheviks took power and was again outlawed.<ref>Ludwik Hass, "The Russian Masonic Movement in the Years 1906–1918." ''Acta Poloniae Historica'' 48 (1983): 95–131.</ref>

===Italy===
{{Further|Freemasonry in Italy}}
According to Adrian Lyttelton, in the early 20th century, Freemasonry was an influential but semi-secret force in Italian politics; with a strong presence among professionals and the middle class across Italy, its appeal spread to the leadership of the parliament, public administration, and the army. The two main organisations were the Grand Orient and the Grand Lodge of Italy. They had around 25,000 members in some 500 lodges. Freemasons typically espoused [[anticlericalism]] and promoted unification. The Catholic Church was a vigorous opponent of unification, and thus of the Freemasons; various national governments would repeatedly alternate and backpedal between the anticlerical side and the Church side.<ref>Adrian Lyttelton, "An Old Church and a New State: Italian Anticlericalism 1876–1915." ''European Studies Review'' 13.2 (1983): 225–248.</ref> Politically, they promoted [[Italian nationalism]] focused on unification and undermining the power of the Catholic Church. Freemasons took on the challenge of mobilizing the press, encouraging public opinion and the leading political parties in support of [[Italian entry into World War I|Italy's joining of the Allies]] of the First World War in 1914–1915. In 1919, they favoured a [[League of Nations]] to promote a new post-war, universal order based upon the peaceful coexistence of independent and democratic nations.<ref>Fulvio Conti, "From Universalism to Nationalism: Italian Freemasonry and the Great War." ''Journal of Modern Italian Studies'' 20.5 (2015): 640–662.</ref> In the early 1920s, many of [[Benito Mussolini|Mussolini]]'s collaborators, especially the leaders in organizing the [[March on Rome]], were Masons. The lodges hailed [[fascism]] as the saviour of Italy from [[Bolshevism]]; however, Mussolini decided he needed to come to terms with the Catholic Church, in the mid-1920s, outlawing Freemasonry.<ref>Martin Clark, ''Modern Italy 1871–1995'' (1996) p. 254.</ref>

===Latin America===
{{Further information|Freemasonry in Latin America}}
The Spanish government outlawed Freemasonry in its overseas empire in the mid-18th century, and energetically enforced the ban. Nevertheless, many Freemasons were active in planning and plotting for independence.<ref>Miriam Erickson, "Don José Rossi y Rubí and Spanish Freemasonry in the Revolutionary Atlantic, 1785–1798." ''Latin Americanist'' 63.1 (2019): 25–47.</ref> Leaders with Freemason membership included Grand Master [[Francisco de Miranda]], [[José de San Martin]], [[Simón Bolivar]], [[Bernardo O'Higgins]], and many others.<ref>Karen Racine, "Freemasonry" in Michael S. Werner, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Mexico: History, Society, and Culture'' (Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997)  1:538–540.</ref> The movement was important after independence was achieved in the 1820s.<ref>Bogdan and Snoek, eds., ''Handbook of Freemasonry'' (2014) pp. 439–440.</ref> In [[Freemasonry in Brazil|Brazil]], many prominent men were Freemasons, and they played a leading role in the abolition of slavery.<ref>Renata Ribeiro Francisco, "Os heróis maçônicos na historiografia da abolição em São Paulo" [Masonic heroes in the historiography of abolition in São Paulo] ''História da Historiografia'' (2020), 13#34 pp. 271–302.</ref>

====Mexico====
Freemasons were leaders in liberalism and anti-clericalism in 19th and 20th-century Mexico. Members included numerous top leaders.<ref>Karen Racine, "Freemasonry" in Michael S. Werner, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Mexico'' (1997) 1:538–540.</ref> The Freemasons were divided regarding relations with the United States, with a pro-U.S. faction supported by the American ambassador [[Joel Poinsett]] known as the "Yorkinos".<ref>Lillian Estelle Fisher, "Early Masonry in Mexico (1806–1828)." ''Southwestern Historical Quarterly'' 42.3 (1939): 198–214. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/30235836 online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307181615/https://www.jstor.org/stable/30235836 |date=7 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>Watson Smith, "Influences from the United States on the Mexican Constitution of 1824." ''Arizona and the West'' 4.2 (1962): 113–126.</ref> According to historian Karen Racine, Freemasons in [[List of heads of state of Mexico|the presidency of Mexico]] included: [[Guadalupe Victoria]], [[Valentín Gómez Farías]], [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]], [[Benito Juárez]], [[Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada]], [[Porfirio Díaz]], [[Francisco I. Madero]], [[Venustiano Carranza]], [[Plutarco Elías Calles]], [[Lázaro Cárdenas]], [[Emilio Portes Gil]], [[Pascual Ortiz Rubio]], [[Abelardo L. Rodríguez]], and [[Miguel Alemán Valdés]].<ref>Racine, p. 1:540.</ref>

=== China ===
The first lodge formed in China was the Amity Lodge which constituted at Canton in 1767. In 1875, District Grand Lodge of China split into two Districts, Northern China, and Hong Kong and South China. During the second world war, All Masonic activity in Hong Kong was brought to a halt due to the Japanese invasion. After 1949, when the new Chinese government (Communist) was established, some lodges moved to Hong Kong or closed due to lack of new candidates.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hamill |first=John |title=The Craft: a history of English freemasonry |date=1986 |publisher=Crucible |isbn=978-0-85030-460-2 |location=Wellingborough, GB}}</ref> Freemasonry is currently outlawed by the [[Chinese Communist Party]] in mainland China.  It is permitted in Hong Kong.  
Freemasonry survived on the island of [[Taiwan]] and the [[Grand Lodge of China]] is based in [[Taipei]].<ref>{{cite web |title=A mason in China |url=https://masons.au/news/A-mason-in-China/ |website=masons.au}}</ref>

==== Hong Kong ====
Royal Sussex Lodge No. 501 was the first lodge established in [[Victoria, Hong Kong|Victoria City]] of Hong Kong on 29 April 1844.

For the English Constitution, Provincial or District Grand Lodge name in Hong Kong Changed as following:<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Chinese Masonic Society |url=http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/chinese-masonic-society.html |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=freemasons-freemasonry.com |archive-date=7 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107224422/http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/chinese-masonic-society.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

* 1847–1866, Provincial Grand Lodge of China
* 1866–1875, District Grand Lodge of China
* 1875–1963, District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and South China
* 1963–present, District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and the Far East

For the Scottish Constitution, District Grand Lodge name in Hong Kong Changed as following:<ref name=":4" />
* 1905–1958, District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and South China
* 1958–present, District Grand Lodge of the Far East

For the Irish Constitution, Provincial or District Grand Lodge name in Hong Kong Changed as following:<ref name=":4" />
* 1933–1938, District Grand Inspector
* 1938–1947, Grand Inspector
* 1947–1954, Grand Inspector for Hong Kong and China
* 1954–1967, Grand Inspector for Hong Kong, China and Malaya
* 1967–1988, Grand Inspector for the Far East
* 1988–present, Provincial Grand Lodge of the Far East

Now, there are 20 (English Constitution) lodges under the District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and Far East, United Grand Lodge of England and meet at [[Zetland Hall]], Hong Kong:<ref>{{Cite web |title=HOME |url=https://www.zetlandhall.com/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Zetland Hall Website |language=en |archive-date=3 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230903224831/https://www.zetlandhall.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

* Cathay Lodge No. 4373
* Corinthian Lodge of Amoy No. 1806
* Diocesan Schools Lodge of Hong Kong No. 10055
* Foochow Lodge No. 1912
* Harriers Lodge No. 9882
* Hong Kong and Far East District Grand Stewards Lodge No. 9879
* Lodge of Lu Pan No. 9387
* Lodge Star of Southern China No. 2013
* Paul Chater Lodge of Installed Masters No. 5391
* Perseverance Lodge of Hong Kong No. 1165
* Rotarian Lodge of Hong Kong No. 9378
* Royal Sussex Lodge No. 501
* St. Paul's Lodge No. 9718
* St Joseph's & La Salle No. 10050
* The Swatow Lodge No. 3705
* The Club Lodge No. 9880
* United Service Lodge No. 1341
* University Lodge of Hong Kong No. 3666
* Victoria Lodge of Hong Kong No. 1026
* Zetland Lodge No. 525