The Anti-Masonic Party was a far-right, anti-Masonic party in the United States that existed from 1828 to 1838, the first "third party" in US history. The party was founded in response to the murder of William Morgan by the Masons, which had occurred after he betrayed their dealings to the press; the anti-Masons also held an anti-elitist ideology, claiming that Masonry was hostile to both republicanism and Christianity. The party also supported the American School of high tariffs and high infrastructure subsidies, and it carried on the legacy of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party. Notable party members were former President of the United States John Quincy Adams and future Secretary of State William H. Seward, and the party joined the like-minded Whig party in 1838.
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