Latin American History and Freemasonry

George Washington Masonic National Memorial Teachers Guide on Masons and Latin American History

History of the Masons

The George Washington Masonic
National Memorial Association
Alexandria, Virginia 22301
683-2007

Instructional Unit:

The North American and South American independence leaders. The role of Freemason lodges and symbols.



Curriculum Unit:

General, Spanish

Grades 10, 11

Leaders of Latin America


Objectives:

At the end of the unit the students will be able to:

1. Understand some ideas shared by the great heroes in North America and South America.

2. Define Freemasonry and its internationalism.

3. Define the purpose and role of important lodges such as the Alexandria Lodge in the U.S. and the Lautaro Lodge in Argentina.

4. Understand the role and power of the Grand Master and relate it to the historic meeting between Don Jose de San Martin and Don Simon Bolivar, the two great heroes, where Bolivar asserted his power as a Grand Master over San Martin and asked him to retire to Argentina. Thus, changing the course of history.

5. Recognize Masonic symbols in the Seal of the United States and Washington D.C. monuments.

a. The pyramid with the eye of Osiris at the top of the U.S. dollar bill.

b. The eagle.

c. The obelisk.

d. Mason tools (silver trowel used by George Washington to lay the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol).

e.The written word. Either sacred books such as the Bible, Koran, Torah,or books of learning and science.

6. Compare language used in the Declaration of Independence to language used in similar documents in Latin America.

7. Trace the historical roots of Masonic ideas from Ancient Egypt, Persia, Jerusalem, the Middle Ages to contemporary times.

8. Identify prominent Masons in the United States, including U.S. Presidents, and Masons in Latin America.

Pre-Visit Activities:

We discuss the importance of ideas leading to revolutionary action. The ideas behind the French Revolution, American Revolution, and Latin American Revolutions. We brainstorm to find commonalities, list leaders in the revolutionary movements, and what they had in common. Most students at this point are unable to identify heroes as members of a particular fraternity or society. We bring out symbols and look at a dollar bill with the seal of the U.S. Students begin noticing the connection to Egypt. The name Freemasonry appears and students are assigned to bring information about the society and its members. Also, excerpts from the declaration of independence of Peru and Venezuela are read to compare them to the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Students are assigned to write short biographies of Latin American leaders and their Masonic connections. We discuss the importance of the historic dialog between Don Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar.