These investigators also allege that many famed characters from the Civil War era, including John Wilkes Booth and Jesse James, belonged to and acted under the influence of the Knights. He sued, unsuccessfully, for the freedom of himself and his family as they were living in the free state of Illinois. The Golden Circle advocates businesses starting with why they are in existence and then developing a product to suit - as opposed to the reverse. They either did very little and were nothing more that a paper tiger or they still exist today hoarding vast amounts . If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe. The Circle On July 4, 1854, George Bickley founded the "Knights of the Golden Circle" in Lexington, Kentucky, to promote the goal of a Slave Empire composed of Mexico, Central America, and. His sponsor and Companion Mason was the powerful Albert Pike from Arkansas, soon to be the supreme commander of all Southern Freemasons and the suspected national leader of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Supposedly, the hidden treasure was meant to finance another Civil War, and perhaps one that would prove more successful for the South. So did 39 very heavy barrels (9,000 pounds total) filled with Mexican silver coins, the profits from the sale of Confederate cotton. Did you know? [citation needed] Mexico and Central America had no interest in being part of the United States. "Mike" Campbell, There, a military wing of the Knights planned to march onto the Rio Grande, the river that separates Mexico and the United States and, at first, it appeared that their mission was picking up support. George W. L. Bickley, a doctor, editor, and adventurer who lived in Cincinnati, founded the association, organizing the first castle, or local branch, in Cincinnati in 1854. Timothy H. OSullivan/U.S. However, once the seat of power was secured, a furious Lincoln dispatched Union troops to seize Baltimore at night and occupy the Charm City for the remainder of the war. Why did President Lincoln jail opponents of the war? Problem was, the troops were viciously attacked in Baltimore as the passed over the Pratt Street Bridge. Despite the hundreds of Knights of the Golden circle who had swarmed near the Mexican border, the invasion never happened. Sam Houston, who reportedly became an initiate. Both Baylor and Trevanion Teel, Sibley's captain of artillery, had been among the KGC members who rode with Ben McCulloch. The Origin of the OrderSouthern Rights' Clubsthe African Slave Trade and the acquisition of new Slave Territorythe first Organization in 1834, and its successthe Mexican War, and the South's interest in itProgress of the Slave Trade up to 1852Acquisition of Cuba, Repeal of the Missouri Compromise, Nicaragua Expeditions, etc . Perhaps the greatest historical significance that can be assigned to the K.G.C. It was created directly out of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and linked to the highest circles of American Freemasons. But people believe there are still more treasures to be found across the United States and potentially in Canada. But in the South, things were quite different. An Authentic Exposition of the K.G.C. Knights of the Golden Circle, or, A History of Secession from 1834 to 1861, by A Member of the Order (Indianapolis, Indiana: C. O. Perrine, Publisher, 1861). Dred Scott in 1857. In the years prior to the American Civil War, the rise of support for abolition of slavery was one of several divisive issues in the United States. Senate. Once Texas seceded in March 1861, individual Knights participated in the actions that displaced the authority of the United States in Texas, leading some Unionists such as James P. Newcomb to emphasize the role of the organization in destroying the Union. KGC Meeting. Captain Mattison succumbed soon after. About the Author: Jack Myers is the author of several books, including Row House Days, Row House Blues, and The Delco Files as well as his book Knights Gold. did not become active until 18591860 when he undertook an organizing campaign across the southern states. They are armed with an axe and a corn knife, but it is sufficient to uncover one of the greatest found treasures in American history. . After retiring from the Navy in 1977, Brewer set out for the treasure in such earnest that hes become an expert on the matter. One such cache was actually discovered by two Baltimore boys in 1934 who found 5,000 gold coins worth $10 million in todays dollars. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. We will fight them and whip them, or die.. In 1859 George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, launched a fraternal order which proposed the establishment of military colonies of Americans in Mexico. In the mid 19th century United States, a group of Southern men known as the Knights of the Golden Circle subscribed to a similar philosophy. Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas. This distrust was the result of a confirmed plot to overthrow the federal government, rather than general discontent. But Brewer has found evidence enough that this legend is based in some reality. YOUR WHY. World War One devastates Europe. With the outbreak of the war, however, Republicans charged that Democrats who opposed the conduct of the war were influenced by, or were members of, the Knights. References: Ollinger Crenshaw, "The Knights of the Golden Circle: The Career of George Bickley," American Historical Review 47 (1941). Local chapters were known as castles and by the 1860s, Bickley claimed the group had over 100,000 members, but such numbers are almost certainly exaggerated. assassins in Baltimore. K.G.C., Records of the KGC Convention, 1860, Raleigh, N.C. (http://gunshowonthenet/AfterTheFact/KGC/KGC0571860.html), accessed August 27, 2010. The Knights of the Golden Circle really did exist. Joseph Holt, Report of the Judge Advocate General on The Order of American Knights, alias The Sons of Liberty. A Western Conspiracy in aid of the Southern Rebellion (Washington, DC: Union Congressional Committee, 1864). Seeking out his friend Kane and the colonels Confederate Secret Service comrades, Booth proposed a scheme to kidnap President Lincoln and to hold him for ransom in exchange for thousands of Confederate prisoners. But that is exactly what happened to two Baltimore boys in 1934. Knights of the Golden Circle: John Wilkes Booth a member That secret society, the Knights of the Golden Circle, was the brainchild of a Cincinnati con man named George Bickley. At a Freemason memorial service for Grand Master Charles Webb, his Masonic brothers recited a poem in his memory a poem written by Albert Pike, the most powerful Freemason of his generation and the long suspected head of the secretive Knights of the Golden Circle. This tension continued throughout the first half of the 19th century, as new territories were added to the United States of America. Knights of the Golden Circle: Secret Empire, Southern Secession, Civil War. Image Credit: "The origins of the Knights of the Golden Circle can be traced to Cincinnati con man George Bickley." Naturally, the North and the Souths different approaches to slavery created significant tension. Perhaps more tantalizing are the rumors that the Knights of the Golden Circle hid treasures still undiscovered to this day. The Knights of the Golden Circle (K. G. C.) was a secret society founded by George W. L. Bickley on July 4, 1854. It was one of the 3 lodges that would become the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. According to Sinek's theory, many of us think from the outside inwhat > how > why. Years after the war, when the hotel would be torn down to make way for a much larger hotel, a box containing 2,000 gold coins would be discovered hidden on the premises. Theres a conspiracy that Lincolns assassin was a member of this society. I presume we will receive orders soon to arrest them, to prevent them from going into Mexico.. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Bickley created, on paper at least, an army of 16,000 men. Proudly powered by WordPress | In the summer of 1863, Congress authorized a military draft, which the administration soon put into operation. The Knights of the Golden Circle gain power in the American South and industrialise the area during the 1850 and 1860s, They increase their autonomy and then instead of engaging in civil war with the north they invade and/or unite with various slave holding powers in the Caribbean. The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a pre- Civil War, pro-Southern secret society founded in Ohio in 1854 by George W. L. Bickley, a Virginian, who soon moved the KGC to the South. The symbols of Rich Mountain fit the mid-1800's timeframe for the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secretive organization formed in 1854 to establish a slaveholding empire from the South as well . Randolph B. Perhaps this should be expected, after all, for a secret society. This secret society hatched a plot to protect and extend slavery, arguably the most contentious issue in the history of the United States. Although civil and military authorities made strenuous efforts to uncover the order and charges abounded in newspapers and in political oratory, no single member or unit of the organization was ever conclusively brought to light. https://www.tshaonline.org, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/knights-of-the-golden-circle. Sir Harry Andrews spent more than 50 years building a headquarters for members of the Knights of the Golden Trail brotherhood. ), a secretive organization created in 1854, proposed to establish a slaveholding empire encompassing the southern United States, the West Indies, Mexico and parts of Central America. This forced Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet to flee via the rail line to Danville. outdoor artificial palm trees; In the end, young Henry Grob and Theodore Jones prevailed, with the coins being sold at auction and the proceeds (after expenses) being put into trust until the teens reached age 21. Adagio Overview; Examples (videos) Newspaper editors across the lower South generally reacted favorably to his message, and Texas proved notably strong in its support. Mexico would be acquired and divided into multiple slave-holding states with an appointed congressman. We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. According to the Texas State Historical Association. He was born and raised in Philadelphia and has worked as a teacher, newspaper reporter, newspaper editor, pizza shop proprietor, and technical writer. The K.G.C., which boasted some 3,000 members in Baltimore alone, was known to collect dues and initiation fees in the form of gold coinage. This circle of countries would represent the golden circle of the KGC, the knights of the golden circle. Allegedly, Sam Houston the Texas politician after whom the city of Houston is named was also a member during the Knights early days, but left after becoming disillusioned with their perspective towards the Union States. This keeps us from unlocking our full potential. Everyone thought Bob was bonkers . Unfortunately for the Knights, however, the tensions around slavery would come to a head in 1861 when the Southern Confederate States went to war with the Northern Union States in the Civil War, making their goals impossible to achieve. Was John Wilkes Booth in the Knights of the Golden Circle? Who were the Knights of the Golden Circle? Lincoln would be targeted by K.G.C. These Knights of the Golden Circle Alerted to a sudden change in plans by a Confederate courier, Colonel Kane rode his horse south day and night in time to rendezvous with the retreating Jeff Davis train in Danville. As the Knights of the Golden Circle was a very well-funded organization, the Spanish government was to be approached to buy Cuba first. George W. L. Bickley, a Virginia-born doctor, editor, and adventurer, was one of the founders of the K.G.C. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Centering on Havana, this empire would be some 2,400 miles in diameterhence the name Golden Circle. Every dollar helps. Do Knights of the Golden Circle still exist? The secret societys aim was to annex the entire peninsula to the United States and provide each American emigrant with 640 acres of land to farm by way of slaves, of course. By 1873 Kane had left the Jones Falls Commission to run successfully for Sheriff of Baltimore. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. The Knights of the Golden Circle was a pro-slavery secret society founded in the decade before the American Civil War. [18][19][20], In late 1863, the KGC reorganized as the Order of American Knights. The Knights of the Golden Circle emerged around 1858 when a secret society formed by a Cincinnati businessman merged with the pro-expansionist Order of the Lone Star, which already had 15,000 members. . He sued, unsuccessfully, for the freedom of himself and his family as they were living in the free state of Illinois. Donald S. Frazier, Blood & Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1996). Joseph Holt, United States Judge Advocate General, submitted a report in October 1864 that warned Secretary of War Edwin Stanton about the danger of this plot, which he attributed at times to the K.G.C. Within a relatively brief time, he organized thirty-two castles or local chapters in various cities, including Houston, Galveston, Austin, San Antonio, Marshall, Jefferson, and La Grange. The Knights of the Golden Circle Treasure. The Brownwood, Texas photo below has Henry Ford's name written above the man with his hat over his shoulder. In 1859 George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, launched a fraternal order which proposed the establishment of military colonies of Americans in Mexico. 65: 8086. Captain Mattison, the secret slaver, lived just around the corner from Southern sympathizer Saulsbury on adjoining Eden Street, site of the 5,000 gold coins. Though the theory is murky and evidence is thin, there is also speculation that the Ku Klux Klan was borne out of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Like many other secretive societies, the K.G.C. One historian even asserted that the KGC spawned the original KKK.. The Golden Circle is a concept that explains how a business might provide maximum value to consumers by changing the way it thinks. Timothy H. OSullivan/U.S. argued that their empire would have a virtual monopoly on the worlds supply of tobacco and sugar and perhaps cotton and have the strength to preserve slavery in the South from constant attacks by northern Abolitionists. By March 1865 Booth and his conspirators were involved in at least two attempts to seize Lincoln as he traveled down Washington, D.C. roads in his carriage. Led by Americas Southern upper class, this empire would create a worldwide monopoly on tobacco, sugar, and cotton. Chapter I. Background'Southern Rights' Clubs. During the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, scam artists in south-central Pennsylvania sold Pennsylvania Dutch farmers $1 paper tickets purported to be from the Knights of the Golden Circle. During this time, the pro-slavery South and the anti-slavery North wanted to expand their borders and create new states aligned with their respective causes. They opposed the U.S. governments war policy, actively encouraged desertion, prevented enlistments, and resisted the draft. Various clandestine actions were undertaken . Nearly a century after its founding, more than 300 people have been knighted and today there are still around 50 active KGOT members. [9], In 1859, future Confederate States Army brigadier general Elkanah Greer established KGC castles in East Texas and Louisiana. Saulsbury was employed by the firm of James Armstrong & Associates, makers of fine soaps and candles. He even served as a consultant to the 2007 movie, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which touches on this legend. Simon Sinek's Golden Circle encourages you to 'start with why' for a purpose-driven approach to business, marketing and life. The sum of these treasures has been figured at about $2 million in the 19th century, which would make the mythic gold worth as much as $160 million today. In either case, the goal was to increase the power of the Southern slave-holding upper class to such a degree that it could never be dislodged.[3]. Why did Lincoln jail opponents of the war? What are the 3 components of the Golden Circle in order? Meanwhile, Lincolns own advisors were being given the same terrifying information. What was the ultimate goal for the Knights of the Golden Circle? Often, histories of the Civil War Era portray the creation of the Knights as chronologically concurrent with early and mid-1850s filibustering expeditions. knights of the golden circle still exist. An Authentic Exposition of the "K.G.C.", "Knights of the Golden Circle": Or, A History of Secession from 1834 to 1861. Victory by the Union in the Civil War destroyed the cause for which the K.G.C. After seeing no immediate profit, he backed out of the operation, losing most of his savings. Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. The contradiction severely weakened the partys chances to defeat Lincoln. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For the past 80+ years it has been assumed that the golden fortune belonged to some unfortunate miser who had passed on without revealing to anyone where the treasure had been stashed. April 9, 1865 The leaders were sentenced to death or imprisonment by military commissions, but the sentences were suspended, and in 1866 the convictions were overturned by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. activity circulated for a few more years, but there is no dependable evidence that the organization survived the war in any meaningful way. Abraham Lincoln sent his secretary, John Hay, to investigate. Houston, however, regardless of his interest in annexing Mexico to the United States, could not accept the K.G.C.s anti-Union stance and refused to support its schemes. Of course, the true battleground for slavery was the American Civil War, which took place between 1861 and 1865. The Texas KGC supported President of the United States James Buchanan's policy of, and draft treaty for, protecting routes for U.S commerce across Mexico, which also failed to be approved by the U.S. [citation needed] The membership, scattered from New York to California and into Latin America, was never large. Proclaiming that we have nothing to fear but fear itself, President Franklin D. Roosevelt unveils his plans for a New Deal to help the country out of its malaise. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Still, the Knights of the Golden Horsehoe tell a compelling story. Knights were grouped into three divisionsmilitary, commercial and financial, and politicaleach of which was in turn divided into two classes. "The Pacific Squadron of 18611866", in Aurora Hunt, C.S.A. A few days later, the Davis train departed Danville and headed south to Greensboro, N.C. Kane stayed behind. As he promoted his organization, Bickley focused on the annexation of Mexico as an essential first step. However, that hasn't stopped some people from suggesting that the organization is still active as an underground society . is its contribution to creating the emotional excitement necessary to persuading southerners to rebel against the United States. members gathered at the Rio Grande for an invasion of Mexico, but Bickley failed to appear with a large force that he claimed to be assembling in New Orleans, and nothing came of the venture. Twiggs was appointed a major general in the Confederate States Army on May 22, 1861.[14]. His plot was discovered, and led to greater distrust of secret societies and Copperheads in general. The OLS operated as something of an unofficial army which took it upon itself to invade South American countries and forcibly take control of them for the sake of America. : The Confederate States of America, the Confederacy's defeat in the Second Great War, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. There exist reports of the KGC continuing after 1864 as a secret group which planned to start fighting the Civil War again, as soon as a generation or two had passed and they had regained their manpower and resources." . members also sought to add new slaveholding territories through the peculiar 19th-century institution known as filibustering. When Texas was annexed from Mexico by slave-owning Americans and added to the Union as a newly minted slave state, other Southerners saw an entrepreneurial opportunity of immeasurable proportions. Such was the case in New Orleans in 1860 when a group of Knights, perhaps 1,000-large, descended into madness while Bickley was otherwise occupied. Calhoun had an illustrious political career serving as a congressman from his home state of South Carolina, a state . Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. The Knights merged with the Order of the Lone Star with the expansionist goal of forming a slave-holding empire that operated like the East India Company by annexing Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and Central America into the United States. KGC members also figured prominently among those who, in 1861, joined Lt. Col. John Robert Baylor in his temporarily successful takeover of southern New Mexico Territory. The overarching goal of Bickleys secret organization was simple, if not a little grandiose: to create a slavery-fueled empire known as the Golden Circle.. played a role in reducing the vote for Constitutional Unionists (see CONSTITUTIONAL UNION PARTY) in November 1860 and in keeping Unionist voters from the polls when the state held a referendum on secession in February 1861. In the decade leading up to the Civil War, a fledgling group called the Knights of the Golden Circle joined forces with a well-establish Southern society known as the Order of the Lone Star.The Knights were the brainchild of George W.L. The whereabouts of the Danville silver to this day is unknown. Their attempt was detected and they were seized on the night of their intended departure. These clubs were inspired by the philosophies of John C. Calhoun (1782-1850). Included within the circle were individuals from some of the Northern States who sympathized with the south and their belief in slavery. Records of the KGC convention held in 1860 state that the organization "originated at Lexington, Kentucky, on the fourth day of July 1854, by five gentlemen who came together on a call made by Gen. George Bickley".
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