I am a Master of Arts graduate of history at California State University - San Marcos. My main area of study is U.S. History, fraternal organizations, Freemasonry, and their impact on society. Phone: (760) 468-4785 Address: 2860 Highway 76
Fallbrook, CA 92028
During the 1960s, service clubs in the United States like the Freemasons started to diminish in m... more During the 1960s, service clubs in the United States like the Freemasons started to diminish in membership numbers. Leading scholars have tried to understand why Americans decided to not join these various social clubs. In their focus on Freemasonry’s declining members, scholars have identified external factors that have been important in shaping the fraternity’s place within American society. These include changing community geography and a shift in larger patterns of sociability. Virtually none have examined how Freemasons themselves have changed their lodge in response to these external forces. This research looks at how the Masonic Lodge reacted over the course of the twentieth century. I argue that the rise in membership immediately after the end of both World War I and World War II superficially bloated lodges with inactive members. In Grand Lodge proceedings, leaders considered whether the increase in members meant quantity was supreme over quality. By the late twentieth-century, lodge leaders decided that adherence to central principles of Freemasonry should prevail over recruitment efforts that risked diluting the membership with “paper members.” By the early twenty-first century, the internet brought a renaissance within Freemasonry, returning to notions of quality over quantity. Even as membership numbers decreased, members increasingly focused on Masonic philosophy, education, and symbolism.
Bush was nothing like his predecessor and that is a good thing. Journalists, political pundits, h... more Bush was nothing like his predecessor and that is a good thing. Journalists, political pundits, historians, and other connoisseurs of American politics like to paint a picture of George H.W. Bush standing next to Ronald Reagan, hand in hand, as if there was some baton pass of ideologies, policies, and perceptions. The common misperception is that George H. W. Bush was just a continuation of Reagan and pressed his issues in congruence with the motivations of his predecessor. With a more critical eye, one can see that this is not the case and that Bush was quite different compared to Reagan, and the Cold War would’ve not ended the way it did without Bush’s differing view of foreign policy.
A popular quote that is mentioned amongst Haitians and non-Haitians alike is that Haiti is 80% Ca... more A popular quote that is mentioned amongst Haitians and non-Haitians alike is that Haiti is 80% Catholic, 20% Protestant, and 100% Vodoun. This implies that Vodou not only plays a religious role within Haitian society but culturally as well. Vodou has been a topic of discussion roughly within the past thirty years and many within and without the historical discipline have produced profound pieces of academic work on the subject. That being said, there has not been a historiographical look at what has been said about Vodou and obtain a temperature of the subject in regard to what the narrative about Vodou within academia is saying. It is only within the past three decades that the subject has been taken into consideration within academia. One might usually find that the topic of Vodou or "Voodoo", as it is misused, is found within the New Age and alternative religion sections of famous bookstores, but the topic is now migrating to the history section as researchers turn their attention to it.
One of the most profound consequences that occurred in relation to the rise of capitalism in the ... more One of the most profound consequences that occurred in relation to the rise of capitalism in the United States is the division of winners against losers. When looking at the history of capitalism after the Civil War, it is plain to see that there were circumstances and stipulations, knowingly or not, that determined who would be considered a winner or loser as it was situated in the capitalist economic system at that time.
Was capitalism an inevitalility in the United States, or was it contingent upon certain events an... more Was capitalism an inevitalility in the United States, or was it contingent upon certain events and influences in history?
Edward Said’s historically influential work entitled Orientalism delivers a new and profound way ... more Edward Said’s historically influential work entitled Orientalism delivers a new and profound way of understanding culture and society through the historical context from which those views originate.
When looking at the various Western mystery tradition schools that initially formed in Europe and... more When looking at the various Western mystery tradition schools that initially formed in Europe and migrated to North America, it is plain to see that there is a Middle Eastern influence within the various organizations of Western esotericism. The one organization included in this research is the fraternity of Freemasonry.
When looking at the long history that Freemasonry has survived and thrived in, it is plain to see... more When looking at the long history that Freemasonry has survived and thrived in, it is plain to see that the fraternity and her members have played an integral part in various wars.
When viewing the history of the United States of America and that of its revolution, it is plain ... more When viewing the history of the United States of America and that of its revolution, it is plain to see that the United States owes a large amount of credence to its religious aspirations. The colonies were vibrant in religious practices. Some were more fundamentalist and others were more lax in their convictions. The one thing that was common though, is that there was dissension and rebellion in their roots.
A look at the translation of the Chinon Parchment and the idea of why the Templars were absolved ... more A look at the translation of the Chinon Parchment and the idea of why the Templars were absolved of their sins. but yet were still prosecuted, tortured, and murdered.
During the 1960s, service clubs in the United States like the Freemasons started to diminish in m... more During the 1960s, service clubs in the United States like the Freemasons started to diminish in membership numbers. Leading scholars have tried to understand why Americans decided to not join these various social clubs. In their focus on Freemasonry’s declining members, scholars have identified external factors that have been important in shaping the fraternity’s place within American society. These include changing community geography and a shift in larger patterns of sociability. Virtually none have examined how Freemasons themselves have changed their lodge in response to these external forces. This research looks at how the Masonic Lodge reacted over the course of the twentieth century. I argue that the rise in membership immediately after the end of both World War I and World War II superficially bloated lodges with inactive members. In Grand Lodge proceedings, leaders considered whether the increase in members meant quantity was supreme over quality. By the late twentieth-century, lodge leaders decided that adherence to central principles of Freemasonry should prevail over recruitment efforts that risked diluting the membership with “paper members.” By the early twenty-first century, the internet brought a renaissance within Freemasonry, returning to notions of quality over quantity. Even as membership numbers decreased, members increasingly focused on Masonic philosophy, education, and symbolism.
Bush was nothing like his predecessor and that is a good thing. Journalists, political pundits, h... more Bush was nothing like his predecessor and that is a good thing. Journalists, political pundits, historians, and other connoisseurs of American politics like to paint a picture of George H.W. Bush standing next to Ronald Reagan, hand in hand, as if there was some baton pass of ideologies, policies, and perceptions. The common misperception is that George H. W. Bush was just a continuation of Reagan and pressed his issues in congruence with the motivations of his predecessor. With a more critical eye, one can see that this is not the case and that Bush was quite different compared to Reagan, and the Cold War would’ve not ended the way it did without Bush’s differing view of foreign policy.
A popular quote that is mentioned amongst Haitians and non-Haitians alike is that Haiti is 80% Ca... more A popular quote that is mentioned amongst Haitians and non-Haitians alike is that Haiti is 80% Catholic, 20% Protestant, and 100% Vodoun. This implies that Vodou not only plays a religious role within Haitian society but culturally as well. Vodou has been a topic of discussion roughly within the past thirty years and many within and without the historical discipline have produced profound pieces of academic work on the subject. That being said, there has not been a historiographical look at what has been said about Vodou and obtain a temperature of the subject in regard to what the narrative about Vodou within academia is saying. It is only within the past three decades that the subject has been taken into consideration within academia. One might usually find that the topic of Vodou or "Voodoo", as it is misused, is found within the New Age and alternative religion sections of famous bookstores, but the topic is now migrating to the history section as researchers turn their attention to it.
One of the most profound consequences that occurred in relation to the rise of capitalism in the ... more One of the most profound consequences that occurred in relation to the rise of capitalism in the United States is the division of winners against losers. When looking at the history of capitalism after the Civil War, it is plain to see that there were circumstances and stipulations, knowingly or not, that determined who would be considered a winner or loser as it was situated in the capitalist economic system at that time.
Was capitalism an inevitalility in the United States, or was it contingent upon certain events an... more Was capitalism an inevitalility in the United States, or was it contingent upon certain events and influences in history?
Edward Said’s historically influential work entitled Orientalism delivers a new and profound way ... more Edward Said’s historically influential work entitled Orientalism delivers a new and profound way of understanding culture and society through the historical context from which those views originate.
When looking at the various Western mystery tradition schools that initially formed in Europe and... more When looking at the various Western mystery tradition schools that initially formed in Europe and migrated to North America, it is plain to see that there is a Middle Eastern influence within the various organizations of Western esotericism. The one organization included in this research is the fraternity of Freemasonry.
When looking at the long history that Freemasonry has survived and thrived in, it is plain to see... more When looking at the long history that Freemasonry has survived and thrived in, it is plain to see that the fraternity and her members have played an integral part in various wars.
When viewing the history of the United States of America and that of its revolution, it is plain ... more When viewing the history of the United States of America and that of its revolution, it is plain to see that the United States owes a large amount of credence to its religious aspirations. The colonies were vibrant in religious practices. Some were more fundamentalist and others were more lax in their convictions. The one thing that was common though, is that there was dissension and rebellion in their roots.
A look at the translation of the Chinon Parchment and the idea of why the Templars were absolved ... more A look at the translation of the Chinon Parchment and the idea of why the Templars were absolved of their sins. but yet were still prosecuted, tortured, and murdered.
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