Other proposals Freemasonry was a widely accepted institution in the late 18th century known for advocating moral teachings. Washington was attracted to the Masons' dedication to the Enlightenment principles of rationality reason and brotherhood the American Masonic lodges did not share the anti-clerical perspective of the controversial European lodges a Masonic lodge was established in Fredericksburg in September 1752 and Washington was initiated two months later at the age of 20 as one of its first Entered Apprentices Within a year he progressed through its ranks to become a Master Mason. Before and during the American Revolution he used Masonic lodges as meeting places to plot against the British.[citation needed] He had a high regard for the Masonic Order but his personal lodge attendance was sporadic in 1777 a convention of Virginia lodges asked him to be the Grand Master of the newly established Grand Lodge of Virginia but he declined due to his commitments leading the Continental Army After 1782 he corresponded frequently with Masonic lodges and members and he was listed as Master in the Virginia charter of Alexandria Lodge No 22 in 1788. . ! Historical graph of party control of the Senate House and Presidency. Since 1980 the Democrats have held the Presidency for four terms but because of the Senate filibuster have only been able to freely legislate in two years the Republicans have been similarly disabled. . .
Northern abolitionists attacked the war as an attempt by slave-owners to strengthen the grip of slavery and thus ensure their continued influence in the federal government Prominent artists and writers opposed the war the Transcendentalist writers Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson attacked the popular war Thoreau who served jail time for his opposition turned a lecture into an essay now known as Civil Disobedience Emerson was succinct predicting that "The United States will conquer Mexico but it will be as a man who swallowed the arsenic which brings him down in turn Mexico will poison us." Events proved him right as arguments over the expansion of slavery in the lands seized from Mexico would fuel the drift to civil war just a dozen years later! . .
Vecchi Luciano Idraulico