That is a great start.
I feel strong that not only do many of the concepts of Freemasonry but the basics of the political environment in the U.S. are rooted in the thinking of many of the members that drove the enlightenment period in Europe.
King Louis XIV in France around 1680 was still believed by many to be divine and even believed that with a single touch from him could cure forms of TB. Jump forward 100 years when Kings were but heads of state. This was a great leap in a short period of time. Many of the writers during that period have roots in masonry as well and even some of the stories that were told may be tied to some of the allegorical stories found in Freemasonry.
One of the stories that I'd like to debate whether they are tied to freemasonry is the story of the 3 imposters. There are many versions of this story and the real author, to my knowledge, has never been identified. My question is do we think there might be any tie between this story and the 3 ruffians in Freemasonry. I know this is a stretch but might make for some interesting conversations.