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Request for leads

I have finished the coursework component of my Ph.D. program, and have comps and dissertation left to go. I am currently fishing for enough documentary evidence to see if I could pursue a dissertation concerning Prince Hall.
The current germ of the idea is explore Prince Hall and early PH Masons as fore-runners to the Pan-African movement in the U.S. I would be interested in other Black fraternities like Knights of Tabor (founded by Moses Dickson) if they exhibit pan-African tendencies.

For the purposes of this discussion, some markers of Pan-Africanism might include:

  • back-to-Africa / repatriation
  • identification with a real or mythical Ethiopia, Egypt/Kemet, or Nubia
  • concept of the African continent as the motherland, instead of a particular tribal area, region, or country.
  • ???

In particular, I am looking for:

  • sources for primary sources: digital, print, or facsimile versions of PH's writings, lodge documents, speeches, newspapers, etc. Writings of other early PH Masons will also be useful.
    A good example might be the Charge listed under "digital resources" at the right side of this page. I'm more interested in the text than the images proper.
  • any evidence that PH or other early PHA founders took special interest in an actual or notional Ethiopia.
  • any evidence that PH took special note of Egyptian themes in Freemasonry.
  • any evidence of whether PH considered Egypt to be African, Northern African, or Non-African.
  • any evidence of adaption of West African practice in to PH Freemasonry.
  • any evidence indicating whether PH considered "African" to refer to continent-of-origin, race, both, neither, etc.
  • records of PH lodges sponsoring public education for Black (or other) children, and especially any curriculum specifically involving Africa or Afro-Centric lessons.
  • same type of info, if available, on Peter Ogden, who founded the first Black lodge of Odd Fellows.
  • other related ideas

I am also interested in these loose themes (just thinking out loud):

  • cartographic documents (ie, maps) that show Prince Hall or other Black fraternal orders.
  • cartographic documents made by Black cartographers in the 18th-19th centuries.
  • PH Masonry as a hothouse for making good citizens (able to participate in organizational, political, and social practices denied lodge members in the outside world)
  • Egyptian imagery (particularly architectural imagery) in 18th- and 19th--century lodge presentation or ritual.
  • Mainstream Masonic attitudes toward PH lodges seen in the larger social context (ie, not related to issues of regularity)
  • use (renting) of PH lodges by the community as a social space
  • social status associated with PH masons by both Black and Anglo communities.

I am not a Mason, although I am respectful of Masonic practice. I hope that onlookers may be able to guide me to enough sources that I can make this dissertation topic happen. If anyone has leads, please email me. My work will be published here on the website, and contributors of any leads will be credited for their assistance. Thanks!

Current leads

Thanks also to: M. Dailey.

L.V.X.,
jason carr

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