Where and when did Freemasonry begin? There are many myths and legends about how Freemasonry began. The official Masonic literature will state that it started with the stone masons of the Middle Ages, who formed themselves into guilds to protect their craft secrets. Eventually, they allowed men into the guild who were not stone masons, but who wanted to be a part of the guild. These outsiders were known as "Speculative Masons." The men who were actually the craftsmen who known as "Operative Masons." Just as the Operative Masons kept their trade secrets from the public, so did the Speculative Masons keep their secrets.

Officially, the beginning of Freemasonry was in 1717 when 4 lodges in London formed themselves into a Grand Lodge. A Grand Lodge is the headquarters for a group of Lodges (in the U.S.A. each state has a Grand Lodge). 1717 is the date when Freemasonry became public, but it certainly wasn’t the beginning. There are records to verify that Freemasonry was in existence as far back as the 14^th century.