6 - Brothers in Arms

Summary

Freemasonry was one of the major conduits through which new ideas and political strategies spread during the Age of Revolution, connecting movements in Latin American regions not just with each other but with like-minded people throughout the Atlantic World. Nearly every major figure of the era has been named as a Freemason: emperors, viceroys, state ministers, archbishops, parish priests, royalist soldiers, insurgent generals, local politicians across the spectrum, women, urban workers, slaves and regular folk all could have been – and in many cases were – affiliated with Masonic Lodges or para-Masonic clubs. This chapter highlights the personal friendships and Masonic connections among this generation, bridging nationality, language and geographic space; discusses membership in a Masonic lodge as an open-ended, fluid experience that shifted and changed along with political conditions; and offers a new emphasis on the importance of Freemasonry as a vector for business, trade, and enterprise, including foreign investment, banking and the emergence of various national publishing industries – all of which were dominated by people with transatlantic Masonic connections.