Such was the revulsion in the United States over the purported murder of William Morgan, an upstate New Yorker who in 1826 disappeared after threatening to expose Masonic secrets, that political groups campaigned to drive Masons out of office and close down their lodges.
President John Quincy Adams devoted considerable energy to the controversy, as this remarkable set of letters shows.
He not only scorned Freemasonry but opposed college secret societies as well, and his feelings about secrecy continue to be of interest as in a new era we face Wikileaks and other challenges to covert activities.
About the Author John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States from 1825 to 1829.
Often agreed upon as one of the best diplomats to serve in American history, he authored the Monroe Doctrine as well as helping broker the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.
He also has the distinction of being the only President to later serve in the House of Representatives.
Guillermo De Los Reyes is associate professor at the University of Houston, international president of the honor society Phi Beta Delta, and a life member of Sigma Delta Pi and Phi Sigma Omega.
He has written or edited numerous books on secret societies.