Shadows of Power: B'nai B'rith and the Secret Societies Behind the Civil War

A Lecture by Anton Chaitkin

GPT-Summary

Introduction

In this lecture, historian Anton Chaitkin explores the hidden connections between America’s “Young America” movement, pro-slavery advocates, and secret societies such as B’nai B’rith and the Freemasons during the 19th century. Chaitkin presents a compelling narrative that links these organizations to the Confederacy, highlighting their roles in secessionist activities, espionage, and the eventual assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. He traces the origins of these movements back to British imperial strategies, particularly Lord Palmerston’s Zionism, and examines how figures like Edwin DeLeon, Albert Pike, and Judah Benjamin influenced the trajectory of American history.

Anton Chaitkin SubStack • Website • Articles

Summary

🏛️ B’nai B’rith’s Role in the Civil War and Zionism Origins

B’nai B’rith’s connection to the American Civil War presents a contradiction. Although most Jews in the Union were ardently pro-Union and anti-slavery, B’nai B’rith, led by individuals in the North, aligned itself with Confederate interests. Despite the Jewish population in the Union Army being predominantly German immigrants and Republicans who opposed slavery, B’nai B’rith played a significant role in Confederate intelligence operations.

The mystery surrounding B’nai B’rith’s relationship with the Confederacy can be traced back to events from two decades earlier. In 1840, British Foreign Minister Lord Palmerston initiated the Zionist movement, claiming that Jews sought to return to Palestine. This statement, made without the knowledge of the Jewish population, was followed by the landing of British troops in Palestine. This geopolitical maneuver set the stage for B’nai B’rith’s political agenda and connection to British imperial interests. 01:10

B’nai B’rith was officially established in 1843 in New York by obscure Freemasons. The organization’s purpose was to act as a secret society for Jews, modeled after Freemasonry, and to lead a political faction within the Jewish community. Its involvement in the Civil War and subsequent espionage activities connected it to larger British and Confederate operations. 01:40

🗣️ Edwin DeLeon and the Young America Movement

In 1845, Edwin DeLeon, a member of a prominent South Carolina Jewish family involved in the slave trade, delivered a speech at South Carolina College. DeLeon was deeply influenced by Thomas Cooper, an English atheist who had first advocated for the South’s secession from the Union. Cooper’s teachings promoted revolutionary ideas, including the notion that the South should break away from the Union to defend its way of life.

DeLeon, later a leader of the Confederate Secret Service, spoke of the emerging “Young America” movement, which aimed to spread “freedom” by force. He drew parallels between similar movements in Europe, such as “Young Germany” and “Young England,” calling for a similar revolution in America. The movement would eventually align itself with pro-slavery and expansionist policies, fueling the conflicts that led to the Mexican-American War and ultimately the Civil War. 02:40

⚔️ The Mexican-American War and Abraham Lincoln’s Opposition

The “Young America” movement first put its plans into action when President James Polk ordered the invasion of Mexico. This war was not only a territorial expansion but also a calculated move by slaveholders to spread slavery into new territories. Abraham Lincoln, then a young congressman, vehemently opposed the war, accusing President Polk of orchestrating a conspiracy of slaveholders that could lead to the destruction of the country.

Lincoln’s outspoken criticism of the Mexican-American War led to his temporary political exile, but it would serve as a turning point in his career. His fight against the spread of slavery would bring him back to the forefront of American politics during the lead-up to the Civil War. 06:00

🔥 The Spread of the Knights of the Golden Circle and Pro-Slavery Agendas

By the mid-1850s, the Young America movement had shifted its focus westward, driven by two important figures: Isaac M. Wise and Killian H. Van Rensselaer. Wise, a leader of B’nai B’rith, and Van Rensselaer, a British military operative and Scottish Rite Freemason, worked to expand a pro-slavery, secessionist organization known as the Knights of the Golden Circle.

The Knights of the Golden Circle sought to spread slavery into Latin America and the U.S. West, with the ultimate goal of breaking up the Union into smaller countries. The organization’s spread along the Mississippi River mirrored the expansion of B’nai B’rith’s influence, tying it to secessionist and terrorist activities that supported the Confederacy’s goals. 07:00

🎭 Simon Wolf, B’nai B’rith, and Confederate Espionage

Simon Wolf, a leader of B’nai B’rith, played a key role in Confederate intelligence operations during the Civil War. Operating out of Washington, D.C., Wolf coordinated efforts with other Confederate operatives, including Judah Benjamin, a U.S. Senator from Louisiana and Confederate intelligence leader. Wolf’s involvement in espionage eventually led to his arrest by U.S. Army Counterintelligence, acting under direct orders from President Abraham Lincoln.

B’nai B’rith’s role as a Confederate intelligence front became apparent during this time. Wolf’s arrest, as well as the activities of other B’nai B’rith leaders, tied the organization directly to secessionist efforts, despite the majority of the Jewish community’s loyalty to the Union. 12:00

🎯 Assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the Role of John Wilkes Booth

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. In the months leading up to the assassination, Booth had deposited funds in a Montreal bank used by Confederate Secret Service leader Judah Benjamin. Booth’s ties to the Confederate intelligence network were clear, as was his coordination with fellow agents such as John Surratt.

Booth met with Simon Wolf just hours before carrying out the assassination, although Wolf later downplayed the significance of this meeting. Nonetheless, Booth’s actions were part of a wider Confederate conspiracy to destabilize the Union. 14:40

👻 Ku Klux Klan, Freemasonry, and Post-War White Supremacy

After the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan was founded in Tennessee by Confederate leaders, including Albert Pike and Nathan Bedford Forrest. The Klan’s goal was to prevent newly freed Black citizens from exercising their right to vote, using terror and violence to achieve this. The Klan’s headquarters in Memphis became a center for its operations, with key figures from Freemasonry and B’nai B’rith involved in advancing the white supremacist agenda.

Albert Pike, a prominent Confederate officer and Freemason, worked closely with Abraham Frankland, a B’nai B’rith leader, to continue the work of the Klan. Pike’s esoteric writings, such as Morals and Dogma, reflected the deep connection between Freemasonry, the Klan, and the post-war efforts to suppress Black civil rights. 17:30

📰 The New York Times, Jim Crow, and Black Disenfranchisement

In the early 20th century, Adolph Ochs, Isaac Wise’s grandson and the owner of the New York Times, led a campaign against Black voting rights in the South. Ochs used his influence to sway public opinion in favor of Jim Crow laws, which disenfranchised Black citizens and reversed many of the gains made during the Civil War.

The Ochs-Sulzberger family, closely linked to B’nai B’rith, has retained control of the New York Times ever since. The paper’s role in promoting segregation and white supremacy further cemented its influence in shaping U.S. politics. 20:00

FAQ

Q: What is the relationship between B’nai B’rith and the American Civil War?
B’nai B’rith played a role in Confederate espionage, despite most of its lodges being located in the North. Its leader in Washington was arrested as a Confederate spy. Though the majority of Jews in the Union Army were anti-slavery Republicans, B’nai B’rith followed a different agenda tied to the Confederacy, which remains a significant and complex element of its history. 00:00:06

Q: How did Lord Palmerston influence Zionism and B’nai B’rith?
British Foreign Minister Lord Palmerston launched Zionism in 1840, claiming that Jews desired to return to Palestine. A month after his proclamation, British troops landed in Palestine. This event is directly tied to the founding of B’nai B’rith in 1843 by Freemasons in New York, intended as a secret society for Jews, similar to Freemasonry, with a clear political agenda. 00:01:10

Q: What role did Edwin DeLeon and Thomas Cooper play in the Confederate cause?
Edwin DeLeon, a leader of the Confederate Secret Service from a prominent Jewish family involved in the slave trade, delivered a speech in 1845 at South Carolina College advocating for the creation of a “Young America” movement. He praised his mentor, Thomas Cooper, who first proposed the South’s secession from the Union. This speech set the foundation for the Confederate cause and the promotion of “freedom” through military action. 00:02:40

Q: What was the significance of the “Young America” movement?
The “Young America” movement, first promoted by Edwin DeLeon, gained momentum during the presidency of James Polk. It bore its first fruit with the invasion of Mexico, a move opposed by Abraham Lincoln, who labeled it a slaveowners’ conspiracy. Lincoln’s opposition led to his temporary exit from politics. The movement’s agenda was rooted in expanding slavery into Latin America and breaking up the Union. 00:06:00

Q: How did Isaac Wise and Killian H. Van Rensselaer contribute to pro-Confederate efforts?
Isaac M. Wise, a leader of B’nai B’rith in Cincinnati, and Killian H. Van Rensselaer, a British military operative, were central figures in spreading a pro-slavery, secessionist group known as the Knights of the Golden Circle. This group sought to expand slavery into Latin America and the U.S. West, with the goal of dismantling the Union. 00:07:00

Q: What was Judah Benjamin’s role in the Confederate secession project?
Judah Benjamin, a U.S. Senator from Louisiana and leader in Southern Freemasonry, worked closely with Albert Pike on a pro-slavery, secessionist project. This project also involved B’nai B’rith and the Knights of the Golden Circle, advancing the Confederate cause in the South. Benjamin’s connections to Freemasonry and B’nai B’rith were crucial in the lead-up to the Civil War. 00:08:50

Q: What were the activities of Simon Wolf and Benjamin F. Peixotto during the Civil War?
Simon Wolf and Benjamin F. Peixotto, both B’nai B’rith leaders in Cleveland, were involved in Confederate activities. They worked as political agents for August Belmont, the U.S. representative of the Rothschild banks. They also ran a Hebrew amateur acting group that included John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln’s assassin. 00:09:00

Q: How was John Wilkes Booth connected to Confederate espionage and B’nai B’rith?
Before assassinating Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth deposited funds in a Montreal bank used by Confederate Secret Service head Judah Benjamin. He conspired with John Surratt, another Confederate agent, to abduct Lincoln. Booth met with Simon Wolf, B’nai B’rith’s leader in Washington, hours before the assassination, during which Booth reportedly expressed personal anguish. 00:14:40

Q: What was the connection between the Ku Klux Klan and B’nai B’rith after the Civil War?
After the war, the Ku Klux Klan was founded in Tennessee to suppress Black voting rights. Albert Pike, a Confederate officer and Freemason, led the KKK alongside Nathan Bedford Forrest. Pike’s close associate, Abraham Frankland, a B’nai B’rith leader, played a significant role in this post-war racist agenda. Frankland’s notebooks, which contain Masonic and pagan symbols, are preserved in the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati. 00:17:30

Q: How did the Ochs-Sulzberger family influence Black voting rights in the early 20th century?
Adolph Ochs, grandson of Isaac Wise and owner of the New York Times, led a campaign against Black voting rights in the early 20th century. This campaign contributed to the North’s acceptance of Jim Crow laws, which reversed many of the gains made during the Civil War. The Ochs-Sulzberger family, closely connected to B’nai B’rith, has retained control of the New York Times ever since. 00:20:00

People

Lord Palmerston - The British foreign minister who launched Zionism in 1840, claiming that Jews desired to return to Palestine, which led to the British landing troops in Palestine shortly after. Palmerston’s actions influenced the creation of B’nai B’rith as a political tool. He was instrumental in establishing British influence over Jewish communities and in using Zionism as a weapon against both the United States and Russia. 01:10

B’nai B’rith Leaders - B’nai B’rith was officially founded in 1843 in New York by Freemasons to act as a secret society for Jews, functioning similarly to Freemasonry. The leaders of B’nai B’rith were involved in guiding a political faction within the Jewish community with a specific agenda tied to British interests and the Confederate cause. 01:40

Edwin DeLeon - A member of a Jewish family in South Carolina notorious for its involvement in the slave trade and Freemasonry. DeLeon delivered a pivotal speech at South Carolina College in 1845, advocating for the creation of “Young America” to spread “freedom” through military action. He later became a leader in the Confederate Secret Service. 02:40

Thomas Cooper - An English atheist and mentor to Edwin DeLeon, who first proposed that the South secede from the Union. Cooper was celebrated by DeLeon as a tenderhearted heretic and a disciple of Bentham and Malthus. He influenced DeLeon’s advocacy for revolutionary military action. 03:20

Abraham Lincoln - As a young congressman, Lincoln exposed President James Polk’s invasion of Mexico as a conspiracy by slaveowners. Lincoln denounced the Mexican-American War and its aims to expand slavery, which led to his temporary exile from politics until his resurgence over a decade later. 06:00

Isaac M. Wise - A B’nai B’rith Midwest leader based in Cincinnati. Wise, along with Killian H. Van Rensselaer, spread a pro-slavery, secessionist group, the Knights of the Golden Circle, with the goal of extending slavery into Latin America and the U.S. West, aiming to break up the Union. Wise’s influence in these pro-slavery movements was significant in the mid-19th century. 07:00

Killian H. Van Rensselaer - A British military operative and Scottish Rite Mason who worked with Isaac M. Wise in Cincinnati to advance pro-slavery, secessionist activities through the Knights of the Golden Circle. His actions were focused on spreading slavery and undermining the Union. 07:00

Judah Benjamin - U.S. Senator from Louisiana and a key figure in Southern Freemasonry. Benjamin worked closely with Albert Pike in orchestrating a terrorist secession project. His involvement with the Knights of the Golden Circle and B’nai B’rith was crucial in advancing the Confederate agenda. 08:50

Albert Pike - A leader in Southern Freemasonry and a key Confederate figure who collaborated with Judah Benjamin. Pike played a significant role in the pre-war Southern base of the Knights of the Golden Circle and B’nai B’rith. After the Civil War, he helped establish the Ku Klux Klan, which aimed to suppress Black voting rights in the South. 08:50

Simon Wolf - A B’nai B’rith leader in Cleveland who later moved to Washington, D.C. during the Civil War to represent the organization. He was arrested by U.S. Army Counterintelligence on orders from President Lincoln for his involvement with Confederate spies. Wolf had close ties with John Wilkes Booth and participated in activities related to Confederate intelligence. 12:00

Benjamin F. Peixotto - Another B’nai B’rith leader from Cleveland, who, alongside Simon Wolf, worked as a political agent for Democratic Party boss August Belmont. Peixotto was connected to John Wilkes Booth and operated within the pro-Confederate network that supported the Knights of the Golden Circle and other Confederate projects. 09:00

August Belmont - The U.S. representative of the Rothschild banks and financier of the British Crown. Belmont funded the Knights of the Golden Circle and the “Young America” projects. He played a pivotal role in planning these efforts while serving as U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands. 09:00

John Wilkes Booth - Lincoln’s assassin, who had close ties with B’nai B’rith members, including Simon Wolf. Booth deposited funds in a Montreal bank used by Confederate intelligence head Judah Benjamin before assassinating Lincoln. Booth met with Simon Wolf hours before the assassination, and his activities were part of a wider Confederate conspiracy. 14:40

John Surratt - A Confederate agent who conspired with John Wilkes Booth to abduct President Lincoln. Surratt and Booth were part of Judah Benjamin’s network, using the Montreal bank to fund their activities. 14:40

Abraham Frankland - A B’nai B’rith leader in Memphis and a close associate of Albert Pike. Frankland was part of the Pike-Benjamin spy network and continued to work with Pike after the war in advancing the KKK’s agenda to suppress Black voting rights. His Kabbalistic writings, preserved in Cincinnati’s American Jewish Archives, contain espionage ciphers and Masonic rituals. 17:30

Nathan Bedford Forrest - One of the founders of the Ku Klux Klan who worked closely with Albert Pike in Memphis. Forrest played a significant role in leading the Klan’s efforts to prevent Black citizens from voting after the Civil War. 17:30

Adolph Ochs - Isaac Wise’s grandson and the owner of the New York Times. In the early 20th century, Ochs led a campaign against Black voting rights, contributing to the establishment of Jim Crow laws in the South. The Ochs-Sulzberger family, closely connected to B’nai B’rith, has controlled the New York Times ever since. 20:00

Organizations

B’nai B’rith - Founded in 1843 by Freemasons in New York, B’nai B’rith was created as a secret society for Jews, similar to Freemasonry. Its role was to shape and guide a particular political faction within the Jewish community with an agenda aligned with British imperial interests. B’nai B’rith played a significant role in the Confederate cause, with many of its leaders involved in espionage and pro-slavery activities during the American Civil War. The organization was closely tied to Confederate intelligence and operated in coordination with the Knights of the Golden Circle to support the secessionist movement. 00:01:40

Zionism - Launched by British Foreign Minister Lord Palmerston in 1840, Zionism was part of Britain’s geopolitical strategy to establish influence in the Middle East. Palmerston claimed that Jews desired to return to Palestine, although this was not known to the Jewish community at the time. This early version of Zionism laid the foundation for British interventions in the Ottoman Empire and became intertwined with B’nai B’rith’s activities. 00:01:10

Knights of the Golden Circle - This pro-slavery, secessionist group was spread by Isaac M. Wise and Killian H. Van Rensselaer along the Mississippi River between 1854 and 1860. The Knights of the Golden Circle sought to extend slavery into Latin America and the U.S. West, with the ultimate goal of breaking up the Union into smaller countries. The organization collaborated closely with B’nai B’rith and played a critical role in the Confederate secessionist agenda. 00:07:00

Confederate Secret Service - The Confederate Secret Service, led by Judah Benjamin, played a key role in espionage activities during the Civil War. B’nai B’rith’s leadership, including Simon Wolf and other members, was heavily involved in this organization’s intelligence operations. Confederate agents like John Wilkes Booth and John Surratt worked directly with the Secret Service to undermine the Union, culminating in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. 00:14:40

Scottish Rite Freemasonry - A branch of Freemasonry, the Scottish Rite was central to the secessionist activities of Albert Pike and Judah Benjamin. It played a significant role in the organization of the Confederate secret networks. In Louisiana and Tennessee, the Scottish Rite worked closely with B’nai B’rith and the Knights of the Golden Circle to advance the pro-slavery cause. 00:08:50

Copperheads - Known as anti-Union sympathizers in the North, the Copperheads had strong ties to B’nai B’rith and the Confederate intelligence network. They operated from Ohio and worked to undermine Union war efforts. Prominent B’nai B’rith members, such as Isaac Wise, were deeply involved in Copperhead political activities, leading to a scandal when Wise was forced to withdraw from the Ohio state senate race due to his Confederate sympathies. 00:09:00

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - After the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan was founded in Tennessee with the purpose of suppressing Black voting rights. The KKK, led by Albert Pike and Nathan Bedford Forrest, used occult and satanic rituals to terrorize freed Black citizens and pro-Union whites. The organization’s headquarters in Memphis became a center of activity, where Pike and B’nai B’rith leader Abraham Frankland continued their collaboration in advancing white supremacist agendas. 00:17:30

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) - The ADL's founding is linked to the post-war activities of B’nai B’rith, but it must be understood in the context of the organization’s historical involvement in covert political agendas. The public narrative of the ADL as a defender against defamation does not encompass the deeper connections of its founding members, such as Simon Wolf, whose involvement in Confederate espionage during the Civil War shaped the political trajectory of B’nai B’rith. The ADL emerged within this framework of secretive political networks, reflecting B’nai B’rith's broader influence in American and international affairs. 16:00

New York Times - The New York Times came under the ownership of Adolph Ochs, Isaac Wise’s grandson, in the early 20th century. Under Ochs’s leadership, the New York Times led a campaign against Black voting rights, contributing to the rise of Jim Crow laws in the South. The Ochs-Sulzberger family, closely connected to B’nai B’rith, has maintained control of the New York Times since that time. 00:20:00

Rothschild Banks - August Belmont, the U.S. representative of the Rothschild banks, played a crucial role in financing Confederate and pro-secessionist activities. Belmont provided funding for the Knights of the Golden Circle and the “Young America” projects while serving as U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands. His financial backing was essential to the success of the Confederate cause. 09:00

Locations

Palestine - British Foreign Minister Lord Palmerston’s Zionist plan involved claiming that Jews desired to return to Palestine. British troops landed in Palestine in 1840 as part of Britain’s broader geopolitical strategy to establish influence in the region. This marked the beginning of British intervention in the Middle East under the guise of protecting Jewish interests. 01:10

New York - B’nai B’rith was officially founded in 1843 by Freemasons in New York as a secret society for Jews. The organization’s political agenda, which was tied to British imperial interests, emerged from this city. New York was a critical hub for the leadership of B’nai B’rith and its influence on the Confederate cause during the Civil War. 01:40

South Carolina College - Edwin DeLeon delivered a speech at South Carolina College in 1845 advocating for the “Young America” movement. This college became the intellectual birthplace for DeLeon’s call for revolutionary military action to spread what he called “freedom” by force, a direct challenge to the Union. 02:40

Mexico - The “Young America” movement first bore fruit with U.S. President James Polk’s invasion of Mexico. The expansion into Mexico was driven by slaveowners’ interests, aiming to extend slavery into new territories. Abraham Lincoln strongly opposed this invasion, exposing it as a conspiracy that could destroy the Union. 06:00

Cincinnati - Isaac M. Wise, a leader of B’nai B’rith, operated from Cincinnati. The city served as a strategic base for the spread of the Knights of the Golden Circle and their pro-slavery agenda. Cincinnati was also the home of Killian H. Van Rensselaer, a British military operative and key figure in the pro-Confederate activities in the Midwest. 07:00

Louisiana - U.S. Senator Judah Benjamin, a leading Confederate figure, and Albert Pike, a Freemason, coordinated efforts in Louisiana to support the secessionist movement. Louisiana was a critical state for the planning and execution of the Knights of the Golden Circle’s agenda to spread slavery into Latin America and dismantle the Union. 08:50

Ohio - Ohio was a major center for Copperhead activities, where Isaac Wise and other B’nai B’rith leaders such as Simon Wolf operated. Ohio’s Copperheads actively worked to undermine the Union during the Civil War, with Cincinnati playing a key role in organizing Confederate sympathizers in the North. 09:00

Cleveland - Simon Wolf and Benjamin F. Peixotto, both B’nai B’rith leaders, were based in Cleveland. From here, they ran operations connected to the pro-Confederate Copperheads and worked as political agents for August Belmont, the U.S. representative of the Rothschild banks. Cleveland became a hub for anti-Union sentiment during the Civil War. 09:00

Montreal - John Wilkes Booth, before assassinating Abraham Lincoln, deposited funds in a Montreal bank that was used by Confederate Secret Service leader Judah Benjamin. Montreal served as a key location for Confederate operations in the North, providing financial and logistical support for the plot to assassinate Lincoln. 14:40

Memphis - After the Civil War, Memphis became the headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan, led by Albert Pike and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Memphis also housed Abraham Frankland, a B’nai B’rith leader and Pike’s close associate, who contributed to the Klan’s post-war agenda. The city played a central role in organizing white supremacist activities aimed at suppressing Black voting rights. 17:30

Tennessee - The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Tennessee, with the explicit goal of preventing newly freed Black citizens from exercising their right to vote. The state became a critical location for the KKK’s activities during Reconstruction, with Albert Pike and other Confederate leaders directing the group’s actions from Memphis. 17:30

Alexandria, Virginia - The Royal Arch Masonic ritual, which combined the worship of ancient deities, including Baal, with the Masonic system, is displayed at the Masonic temple in Alexandria, Virginia. This location houses the symbolic elements of the Masonic rituals practiced by key figures involved in B’nai B’rith and the Scottish Rite Freemasonry. 17:30

Cincinnati (American Jewish Archives) - The American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati hold Abraham Frankland’s “Kabbalistic Researches,” which include espionage ciphers, black magic symbols, and Masonic rituals. These records illustrate Frankland’s deep involvement in the Confederate intelligence network and his role in advancing the Ku Klux Klan’s post-war agenda. 17:30

New York - The New York Times, under the ownership of Adolph Ochs, played a pivotal role in promoting Jim Crow laws that disenfranchised Black voters in the South. Ochs, Isaac Wise’s grandson, used his influence from New York to shift public opinion in favor of suppressing Black civil rights. 20:00

Timeline

1840 - Lord Palmerston launched Zionism, claiming that Jews desired to return to Palestine. British troops landed in Palestine a month later. This marked the first British military intervention in the region. 01:10

1843 - B’nai B’rith was officially founded in New York by Freemasons as a secret society for Jews. The organization began shaping political factions within the Jewish community. 01:40

1845 - Edwin DeLeon delivered his speech at South Carolina College, calling for the creation of a “Young America” movement. He advocated for military action to spread what he referred to as “freedom.” 02:40

1846 - The Mexican-American War began under President James Polk, backed by the Young America movement. Abraham Lincoln opposed the war, denouncing it as a conspiracy of slaveowners. 06:00

1854-1860 - Isaac M. Wise and Killian H. Van Rensselaer spread the pro-slavery, secessionist group known as the Knights of the Golden Circle, which sought to expand slavery into Latin America and the U.S. West. 07:00

1861 - The American Civil War began. Simon Wolf, representing B’nai B’rith, relocated to Washington, D.C., where he collaborated with Confederate intelligence operatives. 12:00

1862 - The U.S. Navy won a decisive battle on the Mississippi River, leading to the U.S. Army’s capture of Memphis, Tennessee. Abraham Frankland, a B’nai B’rith member, was arrested and confessed to being a Confederate spy. 12:00

April 14, 1865 - John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre. Booth had deposited funds in a Montreal bank used by Confederate Secret Service head Judah Benjamin. 14:40

Post-Civil War (1865) - The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Tennessee by Confederate leaders, including Albert Pike and Nathan Bedford Forrest, to prevent newly freed Black citizens from voting. Memphis served as the Klan’s headquarters. 17:30

1871 - Albert Pike published Morals and Dogma, his work on Freemasonry. Pike was a key figure in both the Scottish Rite Freemasonry and the Ku Klux Klan. 17:30

Early 20th Century - Adolph Ochs, Isaac Wise’s grandson and owner of the New York Times, led a campaign against Black voting rights in the South, contributing to the establishment of Jim Crow laws. 20:00

1913 - The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is founded, with Simon Wolf as one of its prime founders. Chaitkin places the ADL's creation within the broader historical context of B’nai B’rith’s involvement in political networks that date back to the Civil War, emphasizing the covert and strategic nature of these organizations. 16:00

Bibliography

Rome and Jerusalem, Moses Hess - Moses Hess was the founder of modern British-sponsored Zionism. In this work, he attacks Moses Mendelssohn’s view of Judaism as merely a religion and culture, arguing instead that Judaism is a race in the “blood-and-soil” sense and must have a homeland. 01:40

Morals and Dogma, Albert Pike - Albert Pike’s work on Freemasonry, published in 1871, delves into the philosophies and rituals of Freemasonry. Pike, a Confederate leader and Ku Klux Klan founder, expounds on esoteric doctrines like the Kabbalah, which played a key role in shaping the post-Civil War agenda of Freemasonry and the Klan. 17:30

Kabbalistic Researches, Abraham Frankland - This notebook, kept in the American Jewish Archives, contains Frankland’s research into espionage ciphers, Masonic rituals, and ancient pagan religions. Frankland was a Confederate spy and a key figure in the collaboration between Freemasonry and the Ku Klux Klan. 17:30

Glossary

Zionism - A political movement launched in 1840 by British Foreign Minister Lord Palmerston, claiming that Jews desired to return to Palestine. This movement became a tool for British geopolitical influence in the Middle East. 01:10

B’nai B’rith - A secret society for Jews founded in 1843 by Freemasons in New York. B’nai B’rith played a significant role in political movements during the Civil War and was deeply involved in Confederate intelligence activities. 01:40

Freemasonry - An esoteric fraternal organization involved in secret rituals and political activities. Freemasons played a crucial role in founding B’nai B’rith and were involved in pro-Confederate and pro-slavery operations in both the North and South during the Civil War. 07:00

Young America - A political movement introduced by Edwin DeLeon in 1845, advocating for revolutionary military action to spread “freedom” through force. The movement first saw significant action during the Mexican-American War under President James Polk. 02:40

Knights of the Golden Circle - A pro-slavery, secessionist organization that spread throughout the U.S. West and Latin America. It was supported by B’nai B’rith and Freemasonry, with a goal to break up the United States and extend slavery. 07:00

Confederate Secret Service - An intelligence network led by Judah Benjamin that was involved in espionage operations during the Civil War. This organization coordinated with B’nai B’rith and Freemasonry to undermine the Union, with key figures like John Wilkes Booth involved in Lincoln’s assassination. 14:40

Scottish Rite - A branch of Freemasonry that was deeply involved in Confederate operations. The Scottish Rite worked alongside B’nai B’rith and the Knights of the Golden Circle to further pro-slavery, secessionist causes in the U.S. South. 08:50

Copperheads - A political faction in the North that sympathized with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Copperheads were strongly tied to B’nai B’rith and sought to undermine Union efforts through their political influence in states like Ohio. 09:00

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - A white supremacist organization founded in Tennessee after the Civil War by Confederate leaders, including Albert Pike. The KKK aimed to suppress the rights of newly freed Black citizens through violence and terror. 17:30

Jim Crow Laws - Laws established in the early 20th century that disenfranchised Black citizens and enforced racial segregation. These laws reversed the progress made by the Union during the Civil War, with the New York Times under Adolph Ochs leading a campaign supporting these policies. 20:00