The
first Scottish Rite organization among African-Americans was the
African Grand Council of 1820 in Philadelphia, which was referred to as a
Council of Princes of Jerusalem. This Council arose through West Indian
migration, for Stephen Morin had propagated the Rite there. The
Organization of the King David Supreme Council grew out of the
conferring in Philadelphia (1850) of the 33rd Degree by Count DeSaint
Laurent (also, Larine) of the Supreme Council of France and the Grand
Commander of the Council of Spain on David Leary, the first Black
Inspector-General of the Prince Hall Scottish Rite.
In New York City, a Supreme Council of the United States was established
in 1864. Also in 1864, a separate Supreme Council was formed in New
York, which was made up of members from the National Compact Grand
Lodge, from which a Southern Jurisdiction split off with the
Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. From the Philadelphia Council, a
Southern and Western Jurisdiction defected with Headquarters at
Washington, D.C. In 1871 a fifth was established in Philadelphia, and
was named King Fredrick Supreme Council. In 1881-1887, these five merged
into 2 United Supreme Councils of the 33rd Degree: one for Northern
Jurisdiction and one for Southern Jurisdiction.
Wilmington,
Delaware on April 19, 1907 using the Mason-Dixon Line as an official
boundary.