08/02/2026
The first 3rd political party in the history of the United States was the anti-masonic party. π²
It was founded in 1828 in New York following the mysterious 1826 disappearance of William Morgan, who disappeared after threatening to publish a book exposing the secret rituals, symbolism and influence of freemasonry in America with the help of publisher David Miller.
The freemasons orchestrated a campaign to silence him. This included an attempt to burn down Miller's printing office to destroy the manuscript, and arresting Morgan for trivial charges (stealing a shirt and an unpaid debt of roughly $2.69) in order to incarcerate him. Then upon his release from jail in September 1826, he was seized by a group of men, forced into a carriage, and taken away. He was never seen again...
Many Americans began to understand the control the freemasons were gaining over America, with critics viewing the masons as an elitist group and undemocratic secret society. Nowadays, fact checkers label any negative views of the fraternal order a mere conspiracy theory.