Editing Scottish Rite (section)

=== Supreme Council of Louisiana ===
The [[Supreme Council of Louisiana]] was founded in New Orleans in 1839 in the aftermath of the [[William Morgan (anti-Mason)|Morgan Affair]]. During this time, the Northern Jurisdiction consisted of John James Joseph Gourgas and Giles Fonda Yates who were "effectively a Supreme Council of two people."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Digital Collections Highlight: Killian H. Van Rensselaer's 1845 Petition |url=https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2022/09/digital-collections-highlight-killian-h-van-rensselaers-1845-petition-.html |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library Blog}}</ref> Likewise, the Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction, Moses Holbrook longed to "relinquish his responsibilities as Sovereign Grand Commander"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library Blog |url=https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library Blog}}</ref> moving to the rural frontier of Florida to serve as a doctor.

It was during this period that the Supreme Council of Louisiana emerged, which claimed its authority via "Cerneauism"<ref name="nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com">{{Cite web |title=Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library Blog |url=https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library Blog}}</ref> – a type of Scottish Rite Masonry<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cerneauism and American Freemasonry |url=https://www.scottishritestore.org/cerneauism-and-american-freemasonry.html |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=scottishritestore.org|archive-date=2022-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229092615/https://www.scottishritestore.org/cerneauism-and-american-freemasonry.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> without ties to the either the Northern or Southern Jurisdictions.<ref>A modern, scholarly work on the topic has been completed by Arturo de Hoyos and S. Brent Morris, '' Cerneaiusm and American Masonry'' (Washington, D.C.: Scottish Rite Research Society, 2019)</ref> After the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the [[Grand Orient de France|Grand Orient of France]] recognized the Supreme Council of Louisiana.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Foulhouze |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3x2voAEACAAJ |title=Historical Inquiry Into the Origins of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite |date=March 2012 |publisher=Cornerstone Book Publishers |isbn=978-1-61342-026-3}}</ref>[[File:The constitutions and regulations of 1762.jpg|thumb|According to the Constitutions and regulations of 1762, candidates must spend at least 81 months (approximately 7 years) to progress through all 25 degrees of the ancient Scottish Rite tradition.]]New Orleans educator and [[Civil rights movement|Civil Rights]] activist George Longe was the head of this council for nearly five decades, from 1938 to 1985. Under his watch the Supreme Council of Louisiana tripled in size and expanded to other states.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=George Longe papers, 1849-1971 {{!}} Amistad Research Center |url=http://amistadresearchcenter.tulane.edu/archon/?p=collections/findingaid&id=256&q=&rootcontentid=95287 |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=amistadresearchcenter.tulane.edu |archive-date=2022-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229075252/http://amistadresearchcenter.tulane.edu/archon/?p=collections/findingaid&id=256&q=&rootcontentid=95287 |url-status=dead}}</ref> His papers are held at the [[Amistad Research Center]] of [[Tulane University]].<ref name="auto" /> As of 2023, the Most Powerful Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of Louisiana is Ill. Bro. Eddie L. Gabriel Sr. 33°.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ballard |first1=E.C. |title=Michael Poll and The Supreme Council of Louisiana |url=http://hedgemason.blogspot.com/2015/07/michael-poll-and-original-supreme.html |website=The Hedge Mason |date=3 July 2015 |access-date=3 February 2021}}</ref>