In 1775, after white Masonic lodges rejected them, Prince Hall and fourteen other free Black men were initiated by a British military lodge. They founded African Lodge, the foundation of Black Freemasonry in America. During the Revolution, Hall urged Black men to join the Patriot cause, believing military service strengthened their claim to freedom.
After independence, he demanded the nation honor its promises. Hall petitioned against slavery and the slave trade, fought for education for Black children, and defended Black sailors from kidnapping.
Prince Hall died in 1807. He lies at Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, a stop on Boston’s Freedom Trail. His legacy endures to this day in thousands of Prince Hall Masonic lodges—institutions built on fellowship, education, self-government, and the enduring belief that Black Americans must help shape the democracy they fought to create.
The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.
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