The Reverend, The Bluestocking and Freemasons Behaving Badly
An Exploration and Close Reading of "A Series of Letters on Freemasonry" by "A Lady of Boston"
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jrff.v2i1.144Keywords:
anti-masonic, freemasonry, Gender Studies, American HistoryAbstract
In Boston, 1810, the Reverend Dr. Thaddeus Harris solicited the aid of Mrs. Hannah Crocker in answering the anti-masonic sentiments of the day, especially those of women. The resulting exchange of letters was published in the local newspaper, the Columbian Centinel. The letters provide a window on anti-masonic sentiments; attitudes towards women; the question of the purpose of societies, secret or otherwise and their place in the community; and the integration of Christian morals, values and principles into the daily life of New England at that time. Harris’ choice of Crocker initially seems straightforward, based on her position as a Boston bluestocking, but her letters are ambiguous in their endorsement of freemasonry, and when read closely, bring into question Harris’ motivations for publishing the exchange of letters. One of those motivations may have been to use the public forum for a private rebuke to masons behaving badly in the public arena. In contrast, Crocker’s motivation seems straightforward: her views on the education of women and the exclusion of women from masonry are clearly stated. She discussed her own foray into an institution ‘similar’ to freemasonry. She presented herself as a highly intelligent and educated woman, with an extensive knowledge of theology, religion and history, and did so without appearing as anything other than properly womanly by the definitions of the day. We thus have another interesting possible motive for Harris’ publication of the letters: to allow Crocker this public forum for her views. Crocker emerges as a special kind of feminist: one who is not afraid to express her opinions, and is able to do so in a way appropriate to the ideas of womanhood at the time, while harsher or more confrontational statements would likely have been disregarded by the very people they were meant to reach.
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