originated at a meeting of American Union
Lodge, held at the encampment of the American Army at Morristown, New
Jersey, December 15, 1779. This Lodge was a Regimental Lodge of the
Connecticut Line, originally warranted by the Provincial Grand Master of
Massachusetts.

This movement continued to find favor amongst the craft, especially in
Pennsylvania, and culminated in a motion to that effect at a General
Grand Communication of the Grand Lodge, December 20, 1779.

This resulted in a Grand Lodge of Emergency being convened January 13,
1780, when the following action was taken:[83]

"This Lodge being called by Order of the Grand Master, upon the
request of Sundry Brethren, and also in pursuance of a Motion made
at the last General Communication, to consider the Propriety as
well as the necessity of appointing a Grand Master over all the
Grand Lodges formed or to be formed in these United States, as the
Correspondence which the Rules of Masonry require cannot now be
carried on with the Grand Lodge of London, under whose Jurisdiction
the Grand Lodges in these States were originally constituted; The
Ballot was put upon the Question: Whether it be for the Benefit of
Masonry that 'a Grand Master of Masons thro'out the United States'
shall be now nominated on the part of this Grand Lodge; and it was
unanimously determined in the affirmative.

"Sundry respectable Brethren being then put in nomination, it was
moved that the Ballot be put for them separately, and His
Excellency George Washington, Esquire, General and
Commander-in-chief of the Armies of the United States being first
in nomination, he was ballotted for accordingly as Grand Master,
and Elected by the unanimous vote of the whole Lodge.

"Ordered, That the minutes of this Election and appointment be
transmitted to the different Grand Lodges in the United States, and
their Concurrence therein be requested, in Order that application
be made to his Excellency in due form, praying that he will do the
Brethren and Craft the honor of accepting their appointment. A
Committee was appointed to expedite the Business."

The movement was further advanced at a Convention of representatives of
the Army Lodges, held at Morristown, N. J., on February 7, 1780, when,
fortified by the pronounced action of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, a
committee was chosen