This is a chronology of the formation of "regular" or "mainstream" Masonic Grand Lodges in North America, descending from the Premier Grand Lodge of England or its rival, the Antient Grand Lodge of England. A Grand Lodge (or "Grand Orient" as it is called in some jurisdictions elsewhere in the world) is the governing body that supervises "Craft" Freemasonry (also known as "Blue Lodge" Freemasonry) in a particular jurisdiction or geographical area.

"Original" Grand Lodges formed by "Time Immemorial" lodges The following Grand Lodges were formed by pre-existing "Time Immemorial" lodges (lodges that predated the concept of having Grand Lodges to supervise and coordinate the craft, and thus were retained as having existed from "time immemorial").

Premier Grand Lodge of England - est. June 24, 1717 - (Merged with Ancient Grand Lodge of England, or "The Ancients", to form the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813)The United Grand Lodge of England – Home Page Grand Lodge of Ireland - est. June 24, 1725Home Page Grand Lodge of Scotland - est. 1736The Grand Lodge of Scotland Ancient Grand Lodge of England - est. 1751 - (Merged with Premier Grand Lodge of England, or "The Moderns", to form the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813)

Grand Lodges founded during the Colonial Era Freemasonry spread from the British Isles during the Colonial Era. All of the "original" Grand Lodges began to issue charters to individual lodges in North America, but the two English Grand Lodges (the "Ancients" and the "Moderns") were the most prolific. Starting in 1730 The Grand Lodge of England (Moderns) began to issue Warrants for Provincial Grand Lodges in the colonies. Initially, these Warrants were issued to individuals, to act as deputies for the Grand Master in a given area for fixed periods of time, and some confusion resulted due to overlapping jurisdictions. To confuse matters further, with the formation of the Antient Grand Lodge, rival Provincial Grand Lodges were chartered under their jurisdiction.

"Coxe" Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, & New York (Moderns) - Est. 1730 - by warrant issued to Daniel Coxe by GLE for two years, allowing for a successor to be elected. Granted jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Successors claimed jurisdiction only over Pennsylvania. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania dates itself from the formation of this Provincial Grand Lodge.Borneman, Henry S. Early Freemasonry in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania, 1931. Facsimile of letter in Appendix D.Barrat, Norris S. & Julius F. Sachse. Freemasonry in Pennsylvania, 1727-1907, As Shown by the Records of Lodge No. 2, F. & A.M. of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: New Era Printing Company, 1908. p. 3-4. Provincial Grand Lodge of New England (Moderns) - Est. 1733 by warrant given to Henry Price. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts dates itself from the formation of this Provincial Grand Lodge. Provincial Grand Lodge of South Carolina - Est. 1736 Grand Lodge of South Carolina Website Provincial Grand Lodge of North Carolina - (Moderns) Est. 1771 - Warrant issued by GLE to Col. Joseph Montfort (1771-1776) and then his Deputy, Cornelius Harnett (1776-1781) Grand Lodge of North Carolina Website Provincial Grand Lodge of New York (Moderns) - 1738-1780s - Warrants issued by GLE (Moderns) to Francis Goelet (1738–1753), to George Harrison (1753–1771), to Sir John Johnson (from 1771). As Johnson was a Loyalist during the American Revolution, he is believed to have taken his warrant with him when he fled to Canada, thus leaving the Moderns Lodges without a Provincial Grand Master.Bicentennial Commemorative Volume of Holland Lodge No. 8, published by the Lodge, New York, 1988. pp 9-12 Provincial Grand Lodge for North America (Scotland) - Est. 1757 - By warrant issued to Colonel John Young.Coil, Henry Wilson; "Massachusetts", pg. 412; Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia; publ. 1961, 1996, Richmond Va. Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada - Est. 1759 (Became PGL of Lower Canada, i.e. Quebec, in 1792)Grande Loge du Québec - Grand Lodge of Québec Provincial Grand Lodge for Pennsylvania (Ancients) - Est. 1761 - By Warrant issued to William Ball.Coil, Henry Wilson; "America, Freemasonry into", pg. 33; Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia"; publ. 1961, 1996, Richmond Va. Provincial Grand Lodge of New York ("Athol Charter" - Ancients) - 1781-1784 - Although this PGL was Warranted by the "Ancients", the final Provincial Grand Master, Chancellor Robert R. Livingston (PGM: 1784-87), was actually the Master of a Lodge under the Jurisdiction of the Moderns, thus uniting the two branches of English Freemasonry in New York State. Livingston continued in office as the first Grand Master of the independent GL of NY. Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada - Est. 1792Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario, Freemasonry, Masonic, Masons

Independent Grand Lodges After the American Revolution and, again, after the incorporation of Canada, the various Provincial Grand Lodges in North America were closed, and the Lodges in each State or Province formed independent Grand Lodges. These in turn, chartered lodges in the territories in the West and North. As each new State or Province came into being, the lodges that had been chartered within its borders gathered together and formed new Grand Lodges.

Grand Lodge of Virginia - Est. 1778Grand Lodge of Virginia AF&AM Grand Lodge of New York - Est. 1782 (declared itself Independent Grand Lodge on June 6, 1787)Welcome! | Grand Lodge F. & A. M. State of New York Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania - Est. 1786The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania (Continuation of "Coxe" Prov. G.L. & Prov. G.L. of Penna. See above.) Grand Lodge of Georgia - Est. December 16, 1786 Grand Lodge of New Jersey - Est. December 18, 1786Grand Lodge of New Jersey > Official Page Mackey, Albert Gallatin, The History of Freemasonry, Vol. 6 1485 - Masonic History Co., NY, 1898 online vol 6, membership by state p 1485 Grand Lodge of Maryland - Est. December 9, 1787 Grand Lodge of North Carolina - Est. December 9, 1787Grand Lodge of A.F.& A. M. of North Carolina Grand Lodge of South Carolina - Est. 1788 Timeline from Grand Lodge of South Carolina website Grand Lodge of Connecticut - Est. 1789The Grand Lodge of Connecticut A.F. & A.M. - Home Grand Lodge of New Hampshire - Est. 1789 Grand Lodge of Rhode Island - Est. 1791 Home Grand Lodge of Massachusetts - Est. 1792 (continuation of PGL of New England (see above). Grand Lodge of Vermont - Est. 1794Grand Lodge of Vermont F&AM Grand Lodge of Kentucky - Est. 1800Grand Lodge of Kentucky Free & Accepted Masons Grand Lodge of Delaware - Est. 1806The Grand Lodge of Masons in Delaware Grand Lodge of Ohio - Est. 1808Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia - Est. 1811Freemasons of the Grand Lodge of D.C.: Home Grand Lodge of Louisiana - Est. 1812 Grand Lodge of Tennessee - Est. 1813 Grand Lodge of TN – Masonic Lodges of Tennessee Grand Lodge of Indiana - Est. January 13, 1818 Grand Lodge of Mississippi - Est. July 27, 1818The Official Web Page of THE Grand Lodge of Mississippi F. & A. M Grand Lodge of Maine - Est. 1820Grand Lodge of Maine Web Sites Grand Lodge of Missouri - Est. April 21, 1821Grand Lodge of Missouri Grand Lodge of Alabama - Est. June 11, 1821 Jackson, Joseph Abram (Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of Alabama from 1965-1970) Masonry in Alabama (published by the Grand Lodge) Grand Lodge of Michigan - Est. 1826 Grand Lodge of Florida - Est. 1830 Grand Lodge of Texas - Est. 1838Carter, James D.; Masonry in Texas, pg. 312-313; publ. 1955, Comm. on Masonic Educ. & Service, Grand Lodge of Texas, AF & AM, Waco Tx Grand Lodge Of Illinois- Est. 1840 - previous Grand Lodge in existence: 1822-1827Grand Lodge of Illinois, A.F. and A.M Grand Lodge of Wisconsin - Est. 1843Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Wisconsin Grand Lodge of Iowa - Est. 1844 Grand Lodge of California - Est. 1850Masons of California Grand Lodge of Oregon - Est. 1851Masonic Grand Lodge of Oregon Grand Lodge of Minnesota - Est. 1853Grand Lodge of Minnesota Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario - Est. 1855 Grand Lodge of Kansas - Est. 1856 Grand Lodge of Nebraska - Est. 1857Grand Lodge Of Nebraska Grand Lodge of Washington State - Est. 1858Most Worshipful Masonic Grand Lodge of Washington Grand Lodge of Colorado - Est. 1861 Grand Lodge of Nevada - Est. January 17, 1865Nevada Grand Lodge Website Grand Lodge of West Virginia - Est. April 12, 1865West Virginia Grang Lodge Grand Lodge of Montana - Est. January 24, 1866 Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia - Est. February 20, 1866Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia A.F. & A.M. - Welcome Grand Lodge of Idaho - Est. December 17, 1867 Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon - Est. December 24, 1867Organization of Grand Lodge Grand Lodge of New Brunswick - Est. 1868 The Grand Lodge of New Brunswick – Home Grand Lodge of Quebec - Est. 1869 Grand Lodge of Utah - Est. 1872Freemasons of Utah Grand Lodge of the Indian Territory - Est. Oct. 6, 1874 (Reestablished in 1892 as Grand Lodge of Oklahoma) Grand Lodge of Wyoming - Est. December 15, 1874 Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Wyoming Grand Lodge of Manitoba - Est. May 12, 1875 Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island - Est. June 23, 1875PEI Masonic Family-Freemasonry on PEI Grand Lodge of New Mexico - Est. 1877Page Title Grand Lodge of Arizona - Est. 1882Grand Lodge of Arizona Free and Accepted Masons Grand Lodge of North Dakota - Est. 1889North Dakota Freemasonry Grand Lodge of Oklahoma - Est. 1892 (Replaced the Grand Lodge of Indian Territory) Grand Lodge of Alberta - Est. 1905Grand Lodge of Alberta AF & AM Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan - Est. August 9, 1906 Grand Lodge of Alaska Est. 1981Welcome To Alaska Mason.Org Grand Lodge of Hawaii Est. 1989The official website of the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the State of Hawaii Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador - Est. 1997Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador

History of Freemasonry by country

See also List of Masonic Grand Lodges North America General list of masonic Grand Lodges History of Freemasonry

References

Further reading Bullock, Steven C. Revolutionary brotherhood: Freemasonry and the transformation of the American social order, 1730-1840 (UNC Press Books, 2011). Formisano, Ronald P., and Kathleen Smith Kutolowski. "Antimasonry and Masonry: The Genesis of Protest, 1826-1827." American Quarterly 29.2 (1977): 139-165. online Hackett, David G. That Religion in Which All Men Agree : Freemasonry in American Culture (U of California Press, 2015) excerpt Hinks, Peter P. et al. All Men Free and Brethren: Essays on the History of African American Freemasonry (Cornell UP, 2013). Kantrowitz, Stephen. " 'Intended for the Better Government of Man': The Political History of African American Freemasonry in the Era of Emancipation." Journal of American History 96#4, (2010), pp. 1001–26. online. Mackey, Albert Gallatin. The History of Freemasonry, Vol. 6 (Masonic History Co., NY, 1898) pages 1485-1486 online membership by state 1898 Weisberger, R. William et al. Freemasonry on Both Sides of the Atlantic: Essays concerning the Craft in the British Isles, Europe, the United States, and Mexico (2002), 969pp York, Neil L. “Freemasons and the American Revolution.” Historian 55#2 (1993), pp. 315–30. online