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Scottish Rite Freemasonry, also known as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, is a system of degrees and rituals practiced within Freemasonry. It is one of the several appendant bodies of Freemasonry, which means it is an additional organization that Freemasons can join after attaining the degrees of the basic Blue Lodge Masonry (the Craft Lodge).   The Scottish Rite originated in France in the 18th century and was introduced to the United States in the late 1700s. It consists of 33 degrees, with the 33rd degree being an honorary degree conferred upon select members who have made...

American abolitionist Prince Hall, who was born in 1738, was a prominent member of Boston's free black community. He established Prince Hall Freemasonry and fought for African American children's access to education, and participated actively in the push to return to Africa.As some of the most important sectors of society in his day, Freemasonry, education, and the military, Hall worked to secure a place for black people in New York who were both enslaved and free. In the United States, Prince Hall Freemasonry—also referred to as "Black Freemasonry"—is said to have been founded by Hall. The African Grand Lodge of...