Cathedral builders, by nature of their profession, had to travel from city to city. The freemasons can trace their routes to the Middle Ages in Europe, a time when most craftsmen were organized into local guilds. Founding Fathers like George Washington, James Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Paul Revere all counted themselves as members of the fraternal order. The freemasons loom large in American history-after all, 13 of the 39 men who signed the U.S. READ MORE: 10 Reasons Why the Knights Templar Were History's Fiercest Fighters What Happened to the Knights Templar? At the apex of their power, the Knights Templar owned the island of Cyprus, a fleet of ships and lent money to kings. Their influence swelled to a new high in 1139, when Pope Innocent II issued a Papal Bull exempting them from paying taxes… and decreeing that the only authority they had to answer to was the Pope. They became one of the most wealthy and powerful forces in Europe after setting up a bank that allowed pilgrims to deposit money in their home countries and withdraw it in the Holy Land.
The Knights Templar were known for more than their military prowess and moral lifestyle. Headquartered at Temple Mount in Jerusalem, members pledged to live a life of chastity, obedience and poverty, abstaining from gambling, alcohol and even swearing. The military order was founded around 1118 when Hugues de Payens, a French knight, created the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon-or The Knights Templar for short. The Knights Templar were warriors dedicated to protecting Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land during the Crusades.
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