On May 6, 1787, African Lodge No. 459 was officially organized in Boston under the leadership of Prince Hall, a free Black man and prominent abolitionist. Hall had previously petitioned for a Masonic charter from the Grand Lodge of England after being denied membership by white American lodges. The approval made African Lodge No. 459 the first official Black Masonic lodge in the United States. Prince Hall’s leadership laid the foundation for Prince Hall Freemasonry, which would grow into a nationwide institution providing spiritual, political, and educational support for Black communities throughout U.S. history.
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