1806 – Prince Hall Dies, Masonic Legacy Lives On

Prince Hall, a pioneer of African American Freemasonry and a Revolutionary War veteran, is believed to have died on June 10, 1806. Hall was a vocal advocate for Black education and civil rights in colonial America. He founded Prince Hall Freemasonry in the 1770s after being denied membership in white Masonic lodges. Through this network, he promoted literacy, civic engagement, and economic uplift among free Black communities in the North. Prince Hall Freemasonry grew into a vital institution that helped shape African American leadership throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. His death marked the end of a transformative life, but his vision lived on through generations of Black leaders who emerged from the fraternal and moral training halls he helped create.