Which signers of the U.S. Constitution were Freemasons and how solid is the evidence for each?
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Executive summary
At least nine signers of the U.S. Constitution are widely described in museum and Masonic scholarship as “conclusively documented” Freemasons, while other reputable accounts expand that list to 13 or more depending on how “Freemason” is defined and which records are accepted; disagreements reflect gaps in 18th‑century lodge records and differing standards of proof, not a single hidden conspiracy [1] [2] [3]. This analysis names the commonly accepted Masonic signers, explains why evidence for each is judged strong or weak, and highlights why scholars and Masonic organizations arrive at different totals [1] [2] [4].
1. Who the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum counts as “conclusively documented” and why that matters
The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library — a leading curator of Masonic history — lists nine Constitution signers as “conclusively documented” Masons: Gunning Bedford Jr., John Blair, David Brearly, Jacob Broom, Daniel Carroll, John Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin, Rufus King, and George Washington; the museum emphasizes the importance of defining “Freemason” (for example, whether one must have taken the Master Mason degree) when tallying totals [1] [2]. That institutional judgment matters because the museum draws on lodge rolls, aprons, contemporary Masonic correspondence, and archival expertise to make affirmative claims where documentary traces survive [1].
2. Which signers have the strongest documentary evidence
Among those named by the Scottish Rite Museum, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin have the most robust and publicly visible Masonic records and artifacts (Washington’s lodge membership and Franklin’s records and lodge activity are extensively documented), making their Masonic status indisputable to scholars and Masonic historians alike [1] [5]. Rufus King, John Dickinson and several others on the museum list also have surviving lodge records or contemporary accounts tying them to specific lodges, which scholars treat as strong evidence [1].
3. Borderline cases and sources of uncertainty
Several signers appear on other lists but lack the same documentary clarity; some county or state Grand Lodge records are missing, names were recorded inconsistently, and family lore occasionally substitutes for primary documentation, producing plausible but not conclusive attributions [6] [7]. Different compilers therefore vary because they apply different thresholds of proof — some accept “tradition and family claim,” others insist on lodge rolls, artifacts, or contemporary testimony — which explains counts ranging from nine to as many as thirteen or more [3] [8] [4].
4. Why Masonic and non‑Masonic sources disagree (and what to watch for)
Masonic organizations and enthusiast sites sometimes inflate counts—intentionally or not—because institutional pride, museum promotion, or amateur lists favor inclusion where evidence is suggestive; conversely, academic or museum scholars often apply stricter archival standards and are cautious about asserting membership without primary records [1] [9] [10]. Popular histories and sensational accounts may also conflate signers of the Declaration with signers of the Constitution or misattribute membership based on shared social networks, further muddying the public tally [2] [11].
5. Notable non‑Masons and corrective points
High‑profile founders sometimes rumored to be Masons are explicitly denied by careful archival work; for example, Montpelier’s research emphasizes that James Madison was not a Mason, and that confident attribution without records should be treated skeptically [5]. That corrective stance illustrates the broader methodological point: absence of evidence is not proof of absence, but confident claims require surviving lodge rolls, contemporary correspondence, or physical artifacts to be judged solid [5] [1].
6. Bottom line assessment
The defensible core is that at least nine Constitution signers are well documented as Freemasons by Masonic museum scholarship (Gunning Bedford Jr., John Blair, David Brearly, Jacob Broom, Daniel Carroll, John Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin, Rufus King, George Washington), while an expanded list of 13 or more appears in other reputable accounts when looser criteria or supplemental local records are accepted; readers should treat any specific count with attention to the sourcing standard used by that account [1] [2] [3] [4].