Discover the untold story of how Freemasons helped Southern Americans immigrate to Brazil post-Civil War, fostering economic and educational growth in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste and Americana.
Few people know about the efforts that the Freemasons made to help a group of southern Americans immigrate to Brazil after the end of the American Civil War, thereby fostering economic, agricultural, industrial and educational development in the region of Santa Bárbara d’Oeste – SP and the current city of Americana – SP.
As a continuation of this story, I will explain how the American colony and its Masonic lodge ensured the secularity of the Brazilian State.
IMAGE: author’s collection
In 1866, the Political Constitution of the Empire of Brazil of 1824 was in force, granted by our emperor and Brother Dom Pedro I (known as Guatimozim), and its Article 5 stated:
“The Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion will continue to be the Religion of the Empire. All other Religions will be permitted to be worshipped at home, or privately in houses designated for this purpose, without any external form of the Temple.”
Therefore, Protestant cults had no recognition or legal prerogatives. It is worth remembering that births were proven by a Baptism Certificate; marriages by a Marriage Certificate, and deaths by a declaration of death, all issued by the Catholic Church.
Burials of non-Catholics were not permitted in public cemeteries or in cemeteries where Catholics were present. The suggestion was that they be buried with animals or in distant lands. Schools were entirely Catholic and taught this faith.
Any and all religions, except those that are constitutional, had to keep their meetings at home, and were prohibited from using bells, crosses and towers, symbols exclusive to the Catholic Church.
IMAGE: author’s collection
In 1866, the first southern North Americans arrived at the port of Santos-SP, most of whom came from the state of Alabama.
The first families were:
Baird, Bookwalter, Bowan, Broadnax, Capps, Carlton, Carr, Cullen, Daniel, Fumas, Fenley, Ferguson, Creen, Hall, Harris, Hawthorne, Holland, Jones, Keese, Kennerly, McFadden, McKnight, Meriwether, Miller, Mills, Moore, Norris, Parks, Pyles, Quillen, Rowe, Smith, Steagall, Taver, Tanner, Terrel, Thatcher, Thompson, Vaugham and Whitaker.
When they settled in the current city of Santa Bárbara d’Oeste and Americana, they realized the many challenges they had to overcome, including their faith. Belonging to the denominations: Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian, they built two small chapels made of planks, which were disfigured due to the Political Constitution.
The first of them was in the so-called Campo, a place that served and still serves as an exclusive cemetery for Americans and their descendants.
The second was on the rural property of; Brother Joseph Henry Moore (great-great-grandfather of the author of this article), under the name of Moore’s Chapel, serving as a church and school for children.
IMAGE: author’s collection
These denominations owe much to these southern immigrant Freemasons, since Brothers and Pastors Richard Ratcliff and Robert Porter Thomas officially established the first Baptist Church on Brazilian soil on September 10, 1871, using these two improvised chapels, with 8 other Baptist Freemasons at its genesis.
The other two denominations also found refuge in the chapels: the Methodists (Brothers and Pastor Junius Estaham Newman) and the Presbyterians (Reverend Brother William Emerson and Reverend Brother William Macfadden).
They were all workers in George Washington Lodge No. 309 (York Rite), founded in 1874 in the colony. Columns B and J were kindly carved by Brother John Edward Steagall and are still in use today by the Campos Salles II lodge in the city.
IMAGE: author’s collection
I would like to highlight the information that the chapel in Campo that we know today was donated by the George Washington Lodge, after the previous one collapsed. Several Charity Trunks raised the sum of $:970$000 to build a new one, and the treasurer, Brother John F. Whitehead, decided that, at the end of 1899, the columns of the lodge had to be cut down.
The colony not only inspired faith, but also education; it gave rise to the formative flame of the Mackenzie Presbyterian University; the Methodist University and its branches for São Paulo University – USP.
There are many other stories about these immigrants that the pages of magazines and books cannot contain, but the glimpses reveal how important this colony was for the development of our country and for religious freedom, all of which was evidently inspired by our beloved brothers of the past.
Footnotes
References
Americanos em São Paulo, Edição XV – Frank Goldman
Soldado Descansa, Judith MacKnight Jones
Fraternidade Descendência Americana – Santa Bárbara d’Oeste – SP Americanos no Brasil, Camila Reis /Fernanda Marques Valente
O fim de uma história triste, Barros Ferreira
Os confederados de Americana, José Nêumanne Pinto
Americana, uma cidade que nasceu dos confederados, Stephen Bloom A epopeia dos confederados, F.S Piauí
Boletim A BIGORNA, N° 56 de 1986 – Kurt Prober
Article by: Renan Moore
Renan Williams Soglia Moore, 33 years old, Master Mason of the Fronteira Paulista Lodge 448, goddaughter of the Grand Lodge of the State of São Paulo, city of Bragança Paulista, São Paulo – Brazil.
He has a degree in History and a specialist in Art History.
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