# June 24, 1717: Secrecy, Symbolism, and a Social Network That Ran the World

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/bsnshistory-7760425/june-24-1717-secrecy-symbolism-and-a-social-network-that-ran-the-world
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/bsnshistory-7760425/june-24-1717-secrecy-symbolism-and-a-social-network-that-ran-the-world.md
Podcast: [bsnsHistory](https://stenobird.com/podcast/bsnshistory-7760425)
Published: 2026-06-24T05:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.bsnsDailypodcasts.com
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/84890242-159d-44b6-b76e-f85da0ced073.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/bsnshistory-7760425/episodes/june-24-1717-secrecy-symbolism-and-a-social-network-that-ran-the-world
Duration seconds: 871

## Resource

On June 24, 1717, four London lodges founded the first Grand Lodge of England at the Goose and Gridiron tavern, and modern Freemasonry was born. What they built wasn't primarily a secret society. It was a trust network that let merchants, lawyers, and intellectuals find each other across borders and do business in an era before credit ratings or corporate law existed. Within a generation it had spread across Europe and the American colonies and become the connective tissue of the American Revolution. From bsnsHistory, the daily podcast about the moments when business quietly reshaped the world. Written and hosted by Ron Trucks. Research and editing by Rodney Russ. Sound design by Angela Cahoy. Music by Cody Martin and Soundstripe. For more daily business stories, visit www.bsnsDAILYpodcasts.com

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## Transcript

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