Anti-Masonic America

Wolfpaw

Banned
Inspired by this thread. A brief idea flitted across my mind when I (misread :eek:) the title and I thought that I might share it with you all. Bear in mind that it was really more a flight-of-fancy thought than a developed or extensively thought out scenario. Here's the cross-post:

Perhaps if you had another, more severe Morgan affair-like scandal break out around election time, people like Thurlow Weed and Joseph Ritner and Amos Ellmaker may enjoy more successful political careers.

Even though the Anti-Masonic Party is often dismissed as a one-issue party, they did forge close links with John Quincey Adams and his National Republicans and incorporated opposition to Jacksonian Democracy, protective tariffs, and emphasis on infrastructure into its platform. They managed to get two of their members into gubernatorial seats in Vermont and Pennsylvania in 1831 and 1835, respectively, and even raked in 100,715 (7.8%) votes and 7 electoral votes in the 1832 elections.

If there's another catalyst (perhaps Andrew Jackson becomes associated with a nasty scandal with Masonic connections), we could see the Anti-Masonic Party begin building up a steady base, perhaps eventually adopting a less one-issue name. Perhaps the American People's Party or something like that. Or maybe they just become the dominant faction of a resurrected National Republican Party.

Anyways, I think there's a chance that, should they ever get in power or influence Congress significantly, we could see Thurlow Weed (a virulent anti-Mason and rather abusive individual) becoming an early 19th Century version of Joe McCarthy.

"Are you now or have you ever been an inducted Free Mason?" ;)

 
Just based on my reading of Wikipedia, I have a few ideas. Say in early 1836, Anti-Masonic leaders are able to find assurance that William Henry Harrison is not a Freemason, and so they nominate him to run for president later that year. Thurlow Weed begins vigorously campaigning for Harrison in New York. The Whig Party eventually decides to unite behind Harrison (not going for their OTL failed strategy of running regional candidates to throw the election into the House), with either an Anti-Mason (probably William Wirt or William Palmer). ITTL Thurlow Weed's political machine carries New York for the Whig-Anti-Mason ticket. With these electoral college votes plus those the separate Whig candidates drew in OTL, Harrison would become president with 166 votes to van Buren's 128.

The prominent position of the Anti-Masons would probably lead to government jobs for Weed, Wirt, and Palmer. Not sure how things would go from there, though. It'd be interesting to see how Harrison deals with the Panic of 1837.
EDIT: another possible idea would be if the Anti-Masons convince Henry Clay to renounce Freemasonry in 1827 and lead the organization.
 
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Wolfpaw

Banned
Just based on my reading of Wikipedia, I have a few ideas. Say in early 1836, Anti-Masonic leaders are able to find assurance that William Henry Harrison is not a Freemason, and so they nominate him to run for president later that year. Thurlow Weed begins vigorously campaigning for Harrison in New York. The Whig Party eventually decides to unite behind Harrison (not going for their OTL failed strategy of running regional candidates to throw the election into the House), with either an Anti-Mason (probably William Wirt or William Palmer). ITTL Thurlow Weed's political machine carries New York for the Whig-Anti-Mason ticket. With these electoral college votes plus those the separate Whig candidates drew in OTL, Harrison would become president with 166 votes to van Buren's 128.
I like the scenario laid out here, only I don't think either Wirt or Palmer would get the VP slot. Wirt would probably be better suited to a Cabinet position and Palmer was pretty much a non-entity outside of Vermont. I think that Joseph Ritner would be an attractive running mate since he was not only from the East (whereas Harrison was from the "West"), but he would likely capture Pennsylvania for the Whig-Anti-Masonic ticket.
The prominent position of the Anti-Masons would probably lead to government jobs for Weed, Wirt, and Palmer. Not sure how things would go from there, though. It'd be interesting to see how Harrison deals with the Panic of 1837.
I could definitely see Amos Ellmaker becoming Attorney General since he served in similar capacities during his career in Pennsylvania. He was also offered the position of Secretary of War by James Monroe, twice offered the position of Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and offered a spot on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, all of which he declined.

Or perhaps William Wirt is appointed Attorney General once more, but then he really wasn't all that anti-Masonic, and they'll probably want somebody more willing to "weed out" Masons and "malignant" Masonic interests in the United States.

Richard Rush would likely become Treasury Secretary again.
EDIT: another possible idea would be if the Anti-Masons convince Henry Clay to renounce Freemasonry in 1827 and lead the organization.
If the Harrison-Ritner ticket manages to grab the White House in '36, I could definitely see Clay trying to install himself as the heir apparent, perhaps becoming Secretary of State once more.
 
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