In states such as Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, the party controlled the balance of power in the state legislature and provided crucial support to candidates for the United States Senate. Palmer and Joseph Ritner, won election to prominent positions. Several Anti-Masons, including William A. In New York, the Anti-Masons supplanted the National Republicans as the primary opposition to the Democrats.Īfter experiencing unexpected success in the 1828 elections, the Anti-Masons adopted positions on other issues, most notably support for internal improvements and a protective tariff. The Anti-Masons emerged as an important third-party alternative to Andrew Jackson's Democrats and Adams' National Republicans. Before and during the presidency of John Quincy Adams, there was a period of political realignment. Mass opposition to Masonry eventually coalesced into a political party. Furthermore, there was a strong fear that Masonry was hostile to Christianity. The Anti-Masons purported that Masons posed a threat to American republicanism by secretly trying to control the government. As many Masons were prominent businessmen and politicians, the backlash against the Masons was also a form of anti- elitism. Many believed that Masons had murdered Morgan for speaking out against Masonry and subsequently many churches and other groups condemned Masonry. The party was founded following the disappearance of William Morgan, a former Mason who had become a prominent critic of the Masonic organization. It declined quickly after 1832 as most members joined the new Whig Party it disappeared after 1838. It was active from the late 1820s, especially in the Northeast, and later attempted to become a major party by expanding its platform to take positions on other issues. Formally a single-issue party, it strongly opposed Freemasonry in the United States. The Anti-Masonic Party was the earliest third party in the United States.

John quincy adams history