One of the darkest periods of Masonic history occurred in the early 1800's. Accusations were made against Masonry that set it back a decade. The accusations were of conspiracy to commit murder.

It began in 1826 in Batavia, N.Y. A fairly new Mason by the name of William Morgan had become disillusioned with Freemasonry. He began to do things that were against Lodge policy and was asked to leave. He decided that in order to get back at the Lodge he was going to publish the rituals of the higher degrees. When word got out of his intentions, the print shop of Morgan's friend was put to the torch. That very night he was arrested for failure to pay a $2.00 debt. Someone unknown to Morgan paid his bail. Upon leaving the jail it was reported that he was pushed into a carriage by a group of Masons while he was screaming "Murder! Murder!" Morgan was never heard from again.

The local citizens were irate. They were convinced that the Masons had committed murder. After some 20 trials they convicted four Masons of abduction. The local sheriff (also a Mason) was given 30 months in jail. The incident came to be known as "The Morgan Affair", and it created such a backlash against Masonry that its membership twindled in half. Two-thirds of the Lodges in Indiana closed their doors. New York State was even worse. Ninety percent of the Lodges turned out their lights. Throughout the Northeast and Midwest the Lodges were dealt a deadly blow.

There was such a backlash against Masonry that in 1845 a new political movement arose in this nation which called itself the "Anti-Masonic Movement." The Anti-Masonic Party was very short lived. Within ten years it was relegated to the ash heap of history. Slowly, the Masonic organization began to regain respect and confidence, and within a few short years was again taking part in the political system.

Unfortunately, the Morgan Affair was an over reaction. No one knows if Morgan was killed or not. There was never any proof of murder or a conspiracy. Conspiracy theories are not new. In 1834 a group of people burned a convent and killed many innocent nuns in Massachusetts, all because they were convinced that there was a conspiracy among the Catholics for the Pope to take over the country. Could a few over zealous Masons actually stoop to such an act of cruelty? Of course, anything is possible. If it could be proved that Masons were responsible for the incident would that mean that their act was condoned by all of Masonry. Absolutely not. Whether or not this act was the responsibility of Freemasons, it is still regarded as a tragic period in our history that we hope is never repeated again. The Grand Lodges throughout the United States passed resolutions, disclaiming all connection or sympathy with the outrage.