Est. in June of 1847

The Birth of the General Grand Masonic Congress: (Nov. 1914-July 1918 WWI)

The Masonic Order of the General Grand Masonic Congress, A. F. & A. M. has long since been a member of the Masonic order in the U. S. A. originally organized under a different name; The General Grand Masonic Congress was first formed as The National Grand Lodge on June 27th, 1847, in Boston, Massachusetts. However, on August 9th, 1889, at Cleveland, Ohio, the (late) ILL. John G. Jones 33rd revived and reorganized this National body and the name was changed to the "National Masonic Congress (A.F. & A.M.) partly due to the National Grand Master Matthews' decreed 1888 Manifesto and By-Law changes that forced many Independent Grand Lodges to split from the Compact Grand Lodges within the National Grand Lodge. It was the Ill. John G. Jones 33rd who helped make this legal name change when he was Lt. Sov. Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council Southern & Western Jurisdiction. Note, at the same time the Ill. Thornton A. Jackson 33rd was the M.P. Sov. Grand Commander of that same (U.S.C.) of the Southern & Western Jurisdiction, the very one that he later denounced as being bogus and encouraged others to denounce. Hence, from that time it was seven years later that the organization resolved to change the name again to "The General Grand Masonic Congress of The United States of America & Canada (A.F. & A.M.) on April 27, 1896, in Washington D.C. once the (A. F. & A. M.) split from their merger with the (P.H.A.) Masons. This is a year after John G. Jones was elected as the Most P. Sov. Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council of the Southern & Western Jurisdiction after Thornton A. Jackson so called Kicked him out of the Southern Supreme Council and John G. Jones Kicked Jackson out of the Southern and Western Supreme Council... splitting up the two United Supreme Councils of the Southern and Southern and Western Jurisdiction forever. This is also the same Historic year that The Ill. Henry C. Scot 33rd went to the Sovern Country of Romania to receive at that time, a New Warrant of Operation from the National Grand Lodge of Romania 1880 (N.G.L.R.) issued to him by the 1st Illustrious Grand Master of (M.L.N.R.) Col. Constantin M. Moroiu 33rd. 
Today The General Grand Masonic Congress (GGMC), Free & Accepted Masons of the United States of America and Canada has its Holy See in Washington, DC where it is an incorporated nonprofit organization affiliated with the United Supreme Council (U.S.C.) of the Southern & Western Jurisdiction (A, A, S, R,).

In 1895 John G. Jones, was Lt. Sovereign Grand Commander of The United Supreme Council Southern and Western Jurisdiction, in this capacity he set up John G. Jones Consistory #1 in Washington D.C. As membership began to grow in this New Consistory, the current Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, Ill. Hamilton Smith of Washington, D.C. issued an edict forbidding any of his members from holding membership in this New Consistory established by John G. Jones. Those within the Grand Master's Jurisdiction that had already obtained membership in the New Consistory had to renounce their membership or be expelled from his Grand Lodge. The members felt that the edict from Grand Master Hamilton Smith was wrong, so they appealed to him, but he denied their appeals. Hence, the Grand Lodge soon split and became the present day Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge(F. & A.M.) and the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge (A. F. & A. M.) These two Grand Lodges are still active in Washington, DC., but it is important to note that the four-letter Most Worshipful Grand Lodge (A. F. & A. M.) and John G. Jones Consistory #1 is still affiliated with this General Grand Masonic Lodge and has been active in Washington, D.C. since 1895, making it the Oldest Consistory in our Supreme Council, the (U. S. C.) of the Southern and Western Jurisdiction.

As stated earlier, seeking a Warrant outside of the Prince Hall Mason's Jurisdiction, the ILL. Henry C. Scott went to Romania in 1896 to receive a legal and binding Warrant from the Romanian National Grand Lodge (R.N.G.L.) founded in 1880 by (late) Ill. Honorable Brother Grand Master Colonel Constantine Moroiu to Legally work and establish other Lodges and Grand Lodges in the Jurisdiction of the United States & Canada. Note: Because the "Mother Grand Lodge" The Most Worshipful (A. F & A. M.) was officially born in 1896 as a four-letter Scottish Rite Grand Lodge, ALL the affiliated Grand Lodges under her Warrant with Membership with the G.G.M.C., and the United Supreme Council of the Southern & Western Jurisdiction (A. F & A. M.), are children of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M.: Meaning Only those Grand Lodges that are current Members of the G. G. M. C. and are affiliated with The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge (A. F. & A. M.) can claim its history and lineage to the work done by Ill. H.C. Scott 33rd and Ill. John G. Jones 33rd.  All other Grand Lodges claiming that lineage are splits or nonaffiliated organizations because the Warrant to Organize and Work in the United States of America and Canada to establish other Grand Lodges was Only given to Henry C. Scott & The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge (A. F. & A.M.) in Washington, D.C. , which is the Holy See. This National Organization of Independent "Colored" (A.F.& A.M.'s) was originally formed in 1847 in Boston, MA. to act as an advisory and administrative body of the Fraternity, not governing body to its member Grand Lodges. The United Supreme Council is a part of The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Order of Freemasonry for the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction of the U.S.A. and Canada that was organized on April 5, 1869, in the city of Washington, D.C., by many high degrees Masons from Washington, D.C. who regulate Scottish Rite Masonry from the fourth to the thirty-third degrees. Each of these bodies serve the purpose of giving the Masonic student a cleaner insight into the realm's Masonic perfection and render to him similar service as the college renders to the high school graduate.

Supreme Councils can only be set up by another Supreme Council. This Supreme Council has never set up nor authorized any other Supreme Councils. There are several Southern and Western United Supreme Councils and other organizations which use our corporate name and our history. Respectfully I must submit to you that there has only been one United Supreme Council Southern and Western Jurisdiction registered in Washington, DC since its formation in 1869, with the first members starting in 1856 from the conferring of degrees from King David Supreme Council. King David Supreme Council was set up by Count de St. Laurent 33rd of the Supreme Council of France. It in turn conferred the degrees on Washington, DC members in 1856 and set up the Southern and Western Supreme Council in 1869. Then the United States Supreme Council was set up by Baron A. Hugo de Bulow 33rd also a member of the Grand Orient of France. It in turn set up the Southern Supreme Council at Baltimore, MD. in 1870. The Southern Supreme Council set up the King Frederick Supreme Council in 1871. The United Supreme Council Southern and Western Jurisdiction of the United States and Canada is an incorporated non–profit organization and has been since October of 1895 in good standing in Washington, DC and it is now a 501C-(10) tax exempt charitable organization. Because of the Freedom of Information Act, it would appear that some organizations get copies of our corporation papers and illegally tell their members a bogus story that it's their corporation papers; however, our pedigree has withstood the test of time and will continue to speak for itself...

NOTE:
The year 1900 is when the Imperial Grand Council Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine (PHA) split from our Imperial Grand Council Ancient Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine. Hence, we are NOT the same Organization. They originated from our organization. In that same regard we are Not the same organization as the "Mainstream Shriners" Either. We are "NOBLES"... Each organization has its own Name, Rituals, Rites, and History...Our Lineage is directly connected to the Only True Arabic Order that can Grant the Patent Powers and Authority to Confer the Degree of Mystic Shrine on 32nd Degree Masons or Knight Templars; Create other Temples and Organize the Imperial Council in the United States. Our organization (A.A.O.N.M.S.) had the Initiatory Rites given to The Original Sovereign Commander of the United Supreme Council of Arabia, and the 1st Grand Imperial Potentate of the Imperial Grand Council of the United States of America. Ill. John G. Jones 33rd. He received his credentials on June 10, 1893, In Chicago, IL, during the World’s Colombian Exposition from Noble Ali Rofelt Pasha, Deputy, and representative from the Grand Council of Arabia.
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1895 The Year That Tore Prince Hall Masonry Apart
1895 is when the Supreme Councils of The Southern Jurisdiction (PHA)
and
The Southern and Western Jurisdiction (A. F. & A. M.) formally split

As earlier stated, many members belonged to both Jurisdictions simultaneously and continued to have a difference in opinion in the direction Masonry should go. Further research indicates that when you look at the office of M. P. Sov. Grand Commander you will see that between 1875 and 1895 the office of M. P. Sov. Grand Commander was rotated between members of the Southern Supreme Council and the Southern and Western Supreme Council. Hence, in October of 1895 John G. Jones became M. P. Sov. Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council Southern and Western Jurisdiction and Thornton A. Jackson was the Sov. Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction. John G. Jones and Thornton A. Jackson fell out of favor with one another causing John G. Jones to expel Thornton A. Jackson from the United Supreme Council Southern and Western Jurisdiction and likewise Thornton A. Jackson expelled John G. Jones from the United Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction. These actions later gave birth to what is referred to as "3 letter and 4 letter Black/Colored Masons," and has been an unnecessary dividing factor for over 100 years; keeping good men with like attainments at odds with each other as opposed to uniting them and their resources for the common cause of good. Masons teach that Harmony is the Strength in Establishing All societies, Most Especially Masons. Isn't it time to move past these petty idiosyncrasies and work together to build a better tomorrow by Meeting on the Level, Acting on the Plumb, & Parting on the Square? Since 1895, there has been a circle of contention among the members of all creeds trying to claim ownership of Freemasonry. Freemasonry is based on the belief in a Universal Creator. Freemasonry has NO boundaries within its existence. Having no boundaries, Freemasonry has found itself not bound by letters, jurisdiction, race, creed, religion, or color. There are over 100 different Masonic Rites. To own Freemasonry is like trying to own the Holy Bible. We All serve A Universal God in a Universal Brotherhood, it is the common thread or cable-tow that runs through All Masonic literature, lessons, an rites, binding us all as ONE.                                    

ILL. Byron K. Amerson 33°