1 00:00:02,085 --> 00:00:04,043 WILLIAM SHATNER: A secret society 2 00:00:04,126 --> 00:00:05,876 that plotted America's independence. 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:07,751 A heavenly vision 4 00:00:07,918 --> 00:00:10,210 received by George Washington. 5 00:00:10,376 --> 00:00:14,793 And secret documents that may have been hidden... 6 00:00:14,918 --> 00:00:17,085 in the White House. 7 00:00:17,210 --> 00:00:19,085 In the United States, 8 00:00:19,210 --> 00:00:21,918 the foundation for freedom and democracy was laid 9 00:00:22,085 --> 00:00:23,793 by a group of men who are referred to 10 00:00:23,918 --> 00:00:25,876 as "the Founding Fathers." 11 00:00:26,043 --> 00:00:27,543 But more than two centuries 12 00:00:27,668 --> 00:00:29,335 after their bold vision came to life, 13 00:00:29,460 --> 00:00:31,543 new information has emerged 14 00:00:31,668 --> 00:00:35,918 about the complexities, the agendas, and the secrets 15 00:00:36,043 --> 00:00:38,293 of these important historical figures. 16 00:00:38,418 --> 00:00:41,043 What truths have remained in the shadows 17 00:00:41,126 --> 00:00:43,501 about the men who formed America? 18 00:00:43,626 --> 00:00:46,710 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 19 00:00:46,835 --> 00:00:48,793 ♪ ♪ 20 00:01:07,543 --> 00:01:10,876 More than a hundred English colonists storm out 21 00:01:11,001 --> 00:01:12,293 of the Old South Meeting House 22 00:01:12,418 --> 00:01:15,168 and march toward the nearby harbor. 23 00:01:15,293 --> 00:01:18,960 The protestors, known as "the Sons of Liberty," 24 00:01:19,085 --> 00:01:22,626 are not happy with the British crown. 25 00:01:22,751 --> 00:01:25,043 RICHARD SPENCE: The Sons of Liberty were a kind of 26 00:01:25,168 --> 00:01:28,335 proto-revolutionary group, and one of the things 27 00:01:28,418 --> 00:01:30,501 that they're angry about is the price of tea. 28 00:01:30,626 --> 00:01:33,710 The colonists had been getting their tea from smugglers, 29 00:01:33,876 --> 00:01:37,293 but then the British crown basically turned around, and... 30 00:01:37,418 --> 00:01:39,876 and it handed a monopoly 31 00:01:40,001 --> 00:01:42,418 on tea trade to the East India Company. 32 00:01:42,585 --> 00:01:45,626 And the tea provided to the colonies 33 00:01:45,751 --> 00:01:48,501 by the East India Company was cheaper, and so, 34 00:01:48,626 --> 00:01:51,335 when the East India Company came in, all these little 35 00:01:51,460 --> 00:01:55,710 mom-and-pop smuggling operations were put out of business. 36 00:01:55,835 --> 00:01:57,626 Well, that made people angry. 37 00:01:57,751 --> 00:01:59,876 Their economic interests were threatened. 38 00:02:00,001 --> 00:02:03,126 SHATNER: As the story goes, the Sons of Liberty stormed 39 00:02:03,251 --> 00:02:06,001 the British East India Company's ships, 40 00:02:06,085 --> 00:02:10,501 and dumped more than 90,000 pounds of tea into the harbor, 41 00:02:10,626 --> 00:02:13,668 destroying property that today would be worth 42 00:02:13,751 --> 00:02:16,543 over $1.5 million. 43 00:02:19,251 --> 00:02:22,960 This revolutionary act of defiance became known 44 00:02:23,085 --> 00:02:25,835 as "the Boston Tea Party." 45 00:02:25,918 --> 00:02:28,210 SPENCE: Some people argue the American Revolution began 46 00:02:28,335 --> 00:02:31,210 in 1773 with the Boston Tea Party. 47 00:02:31,335 --> 00:02:33,293 By the time of the Revolution, 48 00:02:33,418 --> 00:02:35,626 the British colonies had a population 49 00:02:35,751 --> 00:02:38,251 approaching three million people. 50 00:02:38,418 --> 00:02:43,626 And theoretically, the colonies existed to enrich the empire. 51 00:02:43,751 --> 00:02:46,376 On the other hand, the people living 52 00:02:46,460 --> 00:02:48,793 in those colonies believed that they had settled there, 53 00:02:48,918 --> 00:02:52,085 and that its economy existed to enrich them. 54 00:02:52,251 --> 00:02:56,126 And this is what the conflict arose over. 55 00:02:56,251 --> 00:02:58,876 And that, then, would eventually roll over 56 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,168 into the revolution itself. 57 00:03:02,293 --> 00:03:04,876 The American Revolution was a very new thing, 58 00:03:05,043 --> 00:03:07,126 a very dramatic thing. 59 00:03:07,251 --> 00:03:11,918 This was the first colonial revolt 60 00:03:12,085 --> 00:03:14,460 in the modern world. 61 00:03:14,585 --> 00:03:18,918 The inhabitants of British North America were supposed 62 00:03:19,085 --> 00:03:21,251 to populate this new world 63 00:03:21,376 --> 00:03:26,460 and run it for the benefit of the home country. 64 00:03:26,585 --> 00:03:30,585 And at the end of the 18th century, they said, "No." 65 00:03:30,710 --> 00:03:34,043 Human nature gave people rights, 66 00:03:34,168 --> 00:03:36,710 and that governments had to respect them, 67 00:03:36,876 --> 00:03:40,376 and if they didn't, it was legitimate to change them 68 00:03:40,460 --> 00:03:42,543 or even overthrow them. 69 00:03:43,543 --> 00:03:45,460 SHATNER: The leaders of the American Revolution 70 00:03:45,585 --> 00:03:48,710 included icons such as George Washington, 71 00:03:48,793 --> 00:03:51,876 Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin 72 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,668 and Alexander Hamilton, among many others. 73 00:03:54,751 --> 00:03:58,876 These visionaries, collectively known as the Founding Fathers, 74 00:03:59,043 --> 00:04:02,168 advanced the American ideals of democratic government, 75 00:04:02,293 --> 00:04:05,501 despite the fact that, at the time, 76 00:04:05,585 --> 00:04:08,251 opposing the king of England was both bold 77 00:04:08,376 --> 00:04:10,501 and dangerous. 78 00:04:11,418 --> 00:04:13,501 CHRIS HODAPP: The Founding Fathers lived 79 00:04:13,626 --> 00:04:15,918 in a period of divine right of kings, 80 00:04:16,043 --> 00:04:17,751 where a king's decision 81 00:04:17,918 --> 00:04:22,710 was equal to getting the word of God handed down. 82 00:04:22,793 --> 00:04:27,710 And so, really, it became a time of questioning existing 83 00:04:27,835 --> 00:04:30,168 divine-right-of-king style government, 84 00:04:30,251 --> 00:04:32,210 expressing the belief that you didn't have 85 00:04:32,293 --> 00:04:34,085 to have royalty running a country. 86 00:04:34,251 --> 00:04:36,210 SPENCE: The Founding Fathers-- 87 00:04:36,335 --> 00:04:39,543 they were all men of education, 88 00:04:39,668 --> 00:04:43,126 some degree of wealth and influence 89 00:04:43,251 --> 00:04:47,960 who were, in many cases, secret in their activities, 90 00:04:48,085 --> 00:04:52,585 because if you're going to plot a rebellion against the king, 91 00:04:52,710 --> 00:04:56,001 secrecy is necessary, because if not, 92 00:04:56,085 --> 00:04:59,585 you'll all be hanging within about a week's time. 93 00:04:59,751 --> 00:05:04,043 And this is where you bring in our friends, the Freemasons, 94 00:05:04,210 --> 00:05:08,043 because what aids secrecy 95 00:05:08,168 --> 00:05:10,210 better than a secret society? 96 00:05:11,126 --> 00:05:13,626 SHATNER: The Fraternal Order of Freemasons 97 00:05:13,751 --> 00:05:16,210 is a secretive brotherhood that traces its origins back 98 00:05:16,293 --> 00:05:18,001 to the 13th century, 99 00:05:18,126 --> 00:05:21,835 when European stonemasons formed the organization 100 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,710 as a way of bringing together like-minded 101 00:05:23,835 --> 00:05:25,876 and free-thinking individuals. 102 00:05:26,001 --> 00:05:30,335 Centuries later, when English colonists came to the New World, 103 00:05:30,418 --> 00:05:33,585 many of them established local Freemason groups 104 00:05:33,710 --> 00:05:35,543 and congregated in meeting places 105 00:05:35,668 --> 00:05:38,876 that were known as "lodges." 106 00:05:39,001 --> 00:05:41,626 AKDRAM ELIAS: The purpose of Masonic lodges 107 00:05:41,751 --> 00:05:45,043 in the American colonies was really very important. 108 00:05:45,168 --> 00:05:48,501 It was the place where pillars 109 00:05:48,585 --> 00:05:51,626 of their local community would come together. 110 00:05:51,751 --> 00:05:54,460 There are some very prominent Freemasons 111 00:05:54,585 --> 00:05:57,210 among the Founding Fathers of the United States. 112 00:05:57,293 --> 00:06:00,626 You have people like George Washington, 113 00:06:00,751 --> 00:06:04,376 Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, 114 00:06:04,501 --> 00:06:06,668 and Paul Revere was one of them, as well. 115 00:06:08,335 --> 00:06:10,043 SPENCE: As a whole, Freemasonry tended 116 00:06:10,168 --> 00:06:14,251 to be kind of broadly connected with free thinking, 117 00:06:14,376 --> 00:06:16,876 fellowship and a clear rejection 118 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,001 of monarchy and titles of nobility. 119 00:06:20,085 --> 00:06:22,043 Another thing which Freemasonry would contribute 120 00:06:22,210 --> 00:06:25,335 to this whole idea of revolutionary conspiracy 121 00:06:25,460 --> 00:06:27,960 was the inherent secrecy of the organization. 122 00:06:28,085 --> 00:06:32,626 The secrets of Freemasonry are only for initiated members. 123 00:06:32,751 --> 00:06:34,835 You're never supposed to talk about that. 124 00:06:34,918 --> 00:06:37,876 And when you have revolution involved, 125 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,043 they're necessarily not just secret, 126 00:06:40,126 --> 00:06:42,835 but actually conspiratorial about what they were doing. 127 00:06:43,710 --> 00:06:45,835 SHATNER: Some historians have suggested 128 00:06:45,918 --> 00:06:48,585 that Freemasonry was more than just a secret society 129 00:06:48,710 --> 00:06:52,960 that was used to conceal revolutionary activities. 130 00:06:53,085 --> 00:06:55,960 It may also have been the inspiration 131 00:06:56,085 --> 00:06:58,085 for a hidden agenda 132 00:06:58,251 --> 00:07:02,460 that involved the spiritual beliefs of the Founding Fathers. 133 00:07:02,585 --> 00:07:04,501 ARTURO DE HOYOS: We have to remember, 134 00:07:04,626 --> 00:07:06,668 at the time that Freemasonry developed, 135 00:07:06,751 --> 00:07:09,043 that these men were Christians. 136 00:07:09,210 --> 00:07:13,001 So, Freemasons must believe in a supreme being, 137 00:07:13,085 --> 00:07:17,043 you have to have a hope in the immortality of the soul. 138 00:07:17,168 --> 00:07:19,835 This is something that's spoken of in the Bible. 139 00:07:19,918 --> 00:07:22,210 And this is something that dominated the world 140 00:07:22,376 --> 00:07:24,251 for thousands of years, 141 00:07:24,418 --> 00:07:27,126 and was extremely important to our Founding Fathers. 142 00:07:27,251 --> 00:07:29,793 The American Revolution 143 00:07:29,918 --> 00:07:33,626 was dedicated, in their mind, you know, to the one true God. 144 00:07:34,626 --> 00:07:37,085 SHATNER: Did some of the Founding Fathers believe 145 00:07:37,210 --> 00:07:41,460 that the American Revolution was a kind of spiritual crusade, 146 00:07:41,585 --> 00:07:43,710 undertaken in the name of God? 147 00:07:43,876 --> 00:07:47,376 There are those who believe that the answer is "yes," 148 00:07:47,543 --> 00:07:49,960 and as evidence, they point to the wording 149 00:07:50,085 --> 00:07:53,001 of the Declaration of Independence. 150 00:07:53,085 --> 00:07:56,418 Signed on July 4, 1776, 151 00:07:56,543 --> 00:07:58,168 the document proclaimed 152 00:07:58,251 --> 00:08:01,001 that the colonists were free from Britain, 153 00:08:01,126 --> 00:08:05,376 and stated that human beings have inalienable rights 154 00:08:05,543 --> 00:08:08,460 given to them, not by a king, 155 00:08:08,585 --> 00:08:11,668 but rather by God, their creator. 156 00:08:14,210 --> 00:08:16,793 DE HOYOS: The signers of the Declaration of Independence 157 00:08:16,918 --> 00:08:19,543 were all aware that they were committing treason. 158 00:08:19,668 --> 00:08:22,668 They put their names in bold letters, 159 00:08:22,751 --> 00:08:26,210 and they said so on the Declaration of Independence. 160 00:08:27,418 --> 00:08:30,918 That's very much an American idea. 161 00:08:31,043 --> 00:08:34,585 That sense of fighting for a just cause. 162 00:08:34,710 --> 00:08:37,626 And the people who were members of the Freemasons 163 00:08:37,751 --> 00:08:40,710 in the Revolutionary War believed 164 00:08:40,793 --> 00:08:44,043 that this was divine work. 165 00:08:44,168 --> 00:08:47,835 Were the Founding Fathers inspired not only by politics 166 00:08:47,918 --> 00:08:50,460 when plotting America's independence, 167 00:08:50,585 --> 00:08:54,418 but also by secret spiritual traditions 168 00:08:54,585 --> 00:08:55,960 that dated back centuries? 169 00:08:56,085 --> 00:08:59,543 It may sound farfetched, but what if I told you 170 00:08:59,668 --> 00:09:01,751 that George Washington himself 171 00:09:01,918 --> 00:09:05,210 might have received a divine vision 172 00:09:05,293 --> 00:09:09,126 that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War? 173 00:09:16,501 --> 00:09:19,751 SHATNER: Inside a Masonic lodge, 174 00:09:19,918 --> 00:09:23,210 a 20-year-old man sits blindfolded, 175 00:09:23,335 --> 00:09:27,251 surrounded by Freemasons dressed in dark robes. 176 00:09:27,376 --> 00:09:31,835 He takes a blood oath to join their secret brotherhood 177 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:36,043 and will remain a member until his death. 178 00:09:36,210 --> 00:09:38,668 This young initiate is none other 179 00:09:38,751 --> 00:09:42,543 than the future first president of the United States... 180 00:09:42,710 --> 00:09:45,043 George Washington. 181 00:09:45,210 --> 00:09:46,543 George Washington, when he joined the lodge 182 00:09:46,710 --> 00:09:48,126 at Fredericksburg, 183 00:09:48,251 --> 00:09:51,543 he had come into a large amount of property. 184 00:09:51,710 --> 00:09:54,001 His father died, and then his older brother died. 185 00:09:54,085 --> 00:09:57,835 And so he joins the Masons because he wants 186 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,085 to be in the company of other important men. 187 00:10:01,251 --> 00:10:04,668 And freemasonry was an important aspect 188 00:10:04,793 --> 00:10:06,626 of his life in those early years. 189 00:10:06,751 --> 00:10:11,376 He brought Masonic philosophy into the way 190 00:10:11,460 --> 00:10:13,376 he commanded troops, as well. 191 00:10:13,501 --> 00:10:15,460 COE: During the revolution, 192 00:10:15,585 --> 00:10:17,751 George Washington is often described 193 00:10:17,876 --> 00:10:21,376 as some sort of founding superhero. 194 00:10:21,460 --> 00:10:23,751 We see Washington in so many of the portraits 195 00:10:23,876 --> 00:10:25,710 of the Founding Fathers, 196 00:10:25,835 --> 00:10:28,460 sort of towering above people, 197 00:10:28,585 --> 00:10:33,168 and part of the reason is he was taller than most people, 198 00:10:33,293 --> 00:10:34,793 and he had presence. 199 00:10:36,085 --> 00:10:38,876 SHATNER: As commander in chief of the Continental Army, 200 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,543 George Washington became the most visible leader 201 00:10:41,668 --> 00:10:43,376 of the American Revolution. 202 00:10:43,501 --> 00:10:45,543 Today, he is often referred to 203 00:10:45,668 --> 00:10:47,918 as the father of the United States. 204 00:10:48,043 --> 00:10:50,043 But while Washington's influence 205 00:10:50,168 --> 00:10:52,543 on American history is well known, 206 00:10:52,710 --> 00:10:54,460 there is much about him 207 00:10:54,585 --> 00:10:57,543 that remains shrouded in mystery. 208 00:10:57,626 --> 00:11:00,251 Washington was famously secretive 209 00:11:00,418 --> 00:11:02,210 about his personal life. 210 00:11:02,376 --> 00:11:07,626 However, we know that he was raised by a single mother 211 00:11:07,751 --> 00:11:12,043 who read the Bible, and very few other books. 212 00:11:12,168 --> 00:11:15,501 He could quote from the Bible. 213 00:11:15,585 --> 00:11:17,710 For example, Washington will say, 214 00:11:17,876 --> 00:11:21,085 "It's Providence that this should happen," 215 00:11:21,210 --> 00:11:25,501 or that God intended him to do something. 216 00:11:25,626 --> 00:11:27,876 BROOKHISER: Washington's God, 217 00:11:28,043 --> 00:11:30,710 and we know this from his correspondence, 218 00:11:30,835 --> 00:11:34,876 intervenes in history, watches over history. 219 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,043 He's this all-powerful force looking over humanity 220 00:11:38,168 --> 00:11:41,876 and human history, and capable of helping you out 221 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:44,668 if you behaved well, 222 00:11:44,793 --> 00:11:47,751 and if you asked for his help. 223 00:11:47,876 --> 00:11:50,001 SHATNER: Is it possible that, 224 00:11:50,085 --> 00:11:52,960 as both a Freemason and devout Christian, 225 00:11:53,085 --> 00:11:55,293 George Washington secretly believed 226 00:11:55,418 --> 00:11:58,543 that God would intervene on behalf of the colonists 227 00:11:58,668 --> 00:12:00,585 in the American Revolution? 228 00:12:00,751 --> 00:12:02,876 Perhaps the answer can be found 229 00:12:03,001 --> 00:12:06,210 by examining how Washington was able to lead his army 230 00:12:06,376 --> 00:12:08,376 through its lowest point. 231 00:12:18,043 --> 00:12:20,960 After numerous bloody battles against British forces, 232 00:12:21,085 --> 00:12:23,043 General George Washington decides 233 00:12:23,168 --> 00:12:26,668 to encamp the Continental Army for the winter. 234 00:12:26,793 --> 00:12:29,376 For the next several months, 235 00:12:29,460 --> 00:12:34,710 Washington and his troops will have to endure the bitter cold. 236 00:12:34,876 --> 00:12:37,960 BROOKHISER: The problem at Valley Forge was 237 00:12:38,085 --> 00:12:42,751 the Army was just not being supplied with anything. 238 00:12:42,876 --> 00:12:44,793 They didn't have enough food, 239 00:12:44,918 --> 00:12:47,251 they didn't have enough clothing. 240 00:12:47,376 --> 00:12:50,876 The accommodations that they built at the camp 241 00:12:51,001 --> 00:12:52,918 were put up at the last minute. 242 00:12:53,043 --> 00:12:55,126 SPENCE: When you get people 243 00:12:55,251 --> 00:12:59,335 crowded together in unsanitary conditions with low nutrition, 244 00:12:59,460 --> 00:13:01,626 you will have a significant mortality rate. 245 00:13:01,751 --> 00:13:05,251 So, in the Valley Forge situation, 246 00:13:05,376 --> 00:13:09,376 the Continental Army is at a fairly low point, 247 00:13:09,501 --> 00:13:13,960 and during that six months, 20% of its ranks will die. 248 00:13:15,251 --> 00:13:18,501 SHATNER: The conditions at Valley Forge were so severe 249 00:13:18,585 --> 00:13:20,585 that Washington wrote... 250 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,085 But then, 251 00:13:34,210 --> 00:13:37,793 in the Continental Army's darkest hour, 252 00:13:37,918 --> 00:13:43,126 Washington reportedly sought help from a higher power. 253 00:13:43,251 --> 00:13:46,918 COE: As the story goes, Washington got on his knees. 254 00:13:47,085 --> 00:13:49,168 You know, he kneeled at Valley Forge, 255 00:13:49,251 --> 00:13:52,543 and he asked God for help. 256 00:13:52,668 --> 00:13:56,460 GEIGER: The man who first reports Washington praying 257 00:13:56,585 --> 00:13:58,960 at Valley Forge was a man who lived there. 258 00:13:59,085 --> 00:14:01,251 He was a Quaker named Isaac Potts. 259 00:14:01,376 --> 00:14:04,126 And he's the one who says, "Oh, 260 00:14:04,251 --> 00:14:07,126 "I saw him, I was behind a tree. 261 00:14:07,251 --> 00:14:10,543 I saw the Commander-in-Chief, and he's kneeling in prayer." 262 00:14:13,251 --> 00:14:15,710 Washington certainly would have prayed at Valley Forge 263 00:14:15,876 --> 00:14:17,960 because it was terrible. 264 00:14:18,085 --> 00:14:23,293 It was desperate. I think he took the situation 265 00:14:23,418 --> 00:14:26,793 very seriously and hoped 266 00:14:26,918 --> 00:14:30,168 that Providence might improve it. 267 00:14:31,418 --> 00:14:33,251 SHATNER: There were also reports that Washington 268 00:14:33,376 --> 00:14:36,126 not only prayed at Valley Forge, 269 00:14:36,251 --> 00:14:39,251 but also had a divine encounter. 270 00:14:39,418 --> 00:14:43,751 A soldier named Anthony Sherman claimed to witness Washington 271 00:14:43,876 --> 00:14:47,085 saying that he received confirmation 272 00:14:47,210 --> 00:14:50,126 that his prayers had indeed been heard. 273 00:14:50,251 --> 00:14:52,626 GEIGER: The report was that, at Valley Forge, 274 00:14:52,751 --> 00:14:55,376 that Washington said to an officer that he had seen 275 00:14:55,543 --> 00:14:58,710 a vision of an angel talking to him. 276 00:14:59,668 --> 00:15:01,793 The vision given to him by this angel was 277 00:15:01,918 --> 00:15:04,210 the angel essentially waved his hand, 278 00:15:04,293 --> 00:15:08,168 and on one side of America was an ocean and Europe, 279 00:15:08,293 --> 00:15:11,043 and on the other side was an ocean and Asia. 280 00:15:11,210 --> 00:15:14,335 And so that the angel had revealed to George Washington 281 00:15:14,460 --> 00:15:18,001 this vision that America would go from coast to coast. 282 00:15:19,751 --> 00:15:22,293 SHATNER: What occurred after Washington's alleged vision 283 00:15:22,418 --> 00:15:23,543 was very curious. 284 00:15:23,668 --> 00:15:25,918 Against all odds, 285 00:15:26,043 --> 00:15:27,626 and despite losing 2,000 men 286 00:15:27,751 --> 00:15:29,668 to cold, starvation and disease, 287 00:15:29,751 --> 00:15:33,126 the Continental Army survived the winter at Valley Forge. 288 00:15:33,251 --> 00:15:37,335 And then, only ten days after leaving the encampment, 289 00:15:37,460 --> 00:15:40,501 Washington and his troops won a decisive victory 290 00:15:40,626 --> 00:15:44,418 over the British at the Battle of Monmouth. 291 00:15:44,543 --> 00:15:47,335 Many Americans came to believe that Washington's prayer 292 00:15:47,460 --> 00:15:52,626 had miraculously changed the colonists' fortunes. 293 00:15:52,751 --> 00:15:55,043 GEIGER: This idea of Washington praying in the woods, 294 00:15:55,210 --> 00:15:58,210 for a young nation that was still a fragile nation, 295 00:15:58,335 --> 00:16:02,210 it gave us this idea that God heard Washington praying. 296 00:16:02,376 --> 00:16:04,168 And so there's a reason to believe that maybe 297 00:16:04,251 --> 00:16:06,751 our nation would survive. 298 00:16:07,835 --> 00:16:10,960 The idea that George Washington received a prophetic vision 299 00:16:11,085 --> 00:16:13,835 that changed the course of American history 300 00:16:13,918 --> 00:16:17,126 is an extraordinary possibility to consider. 301 00:16:17,251 --> 00:16:20,876 But there are other secrets of the Founding Fathers 302 00:16:21,001 --> 00:16:24,501 that, while not quite as otherworldly, 303 00:16:24,585 --> 00:16:26,376 are no less intriguing. 304 00:16:26,501 --> 00:16:30,376 For instance, historians are still debating 305 00:16:30,543 --> 00:16:33,210 the true identity of one of the Revolution's 306 00:16:33,376 --> 00:16:36,793 most important spies, who went by the code name 307 00:16:36,918 --> 00:16:39,251 Agent 355. 308 00:16:47,293 --> 00:16:50,418 SHATNER: The British Army scores a decisive victory 309 00:16:50,585 --> 00:16:53,501 over General George Washington and the Continental Army. 310 00:16:53,585 --> 00:16:55,960 The British take control of the city 311 00:16:56,085 --> 00:16:58,418 and make it their military headquarters. 312 00:17:00,126 --> 00:17:04,335 In the Summer of 1776, the Revolutionary War is 313 00:17:04,418 --> 00:17:06,376 not off to a good start for the Americans. 314 00:17:06,460 --> 00:17:09,835 New York is one of the largest cities 315 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:11,543 in the American colonies at the time. 316 00:17:11,710 --> 00:17:16,043 As a result, Washington needs to retake New York. 317 00:17:16,210 --> 00:17:19,085 And so this demonstrates a really-- a critical need 318 00:17:19,210 --> 00:17:22,085 for intelligence to know what the enemy is doing, 319 00:17:22,251 --> 00:17:24,085 what the forces are comprised of, 320 00:17:24,251 --> 00:17:26,585 what their intentions are. 321 00:17:26,710 --> 00:17:28,335 He needs information. 322 00:17:29,751 --> 00:17:33,085 SHATNER: To obtain the intelligence that he desperately needs 323 00:17:33,210 --> 00:17:36,043 to retake New York City, Washington created 324 00:17:36,126 --> 00:17:40,001 an intelligence network made up not of soldiers, 325 00:17:40,085 --> 00:17:42,376 but rather ordinary citizens 326 00:17:42,460 --> 00:17:45,793 living in and around New York. 327 00:17:45,918 --> 00:17:49,626 The group became known as the Culper Spy Ring. 328 00:17:51,668 --> 00:17:54,168 We're not sure how the Culper Spy Ring 329 00:17:54,251 --> 00:17:55,376 got its name. 330 00:17:55,501 --> 00:17:57,293 But the one thing we do know 331 00:17:57,418 --> 00:18:02,835 is that Washington's main spy was a farmer 332 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:04,418 named Abraham Woodhull. 333 00:18:04,543 --> 00:18:07,501 And they gave him the code name Samuel Culper. 334 00:18:08,585 --> 00:18:11,418 OLLY: Abraham Woodhull enlisted a small group 335 00:18:11,585 --> 00:18:14,001 of perhaps a half a dozen men 336 00:18:14,085 --> 00:18:16,251 who conveyed military intelligence 337 00:18:16,376 --> 00:18:19,876 from Manhattan to Washington's headquarters. 338 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,085 And then, because Abraham Woodhull 339 00:18:23,251 --> 00:18:25,126 could not constantly be going into New York 340 00:18:25,251 --> 00:18:28,085 to gather information, he enlisted the services 341 00:18:28,210 --> 00:18:31,543 of Robert Townsend, who was a merchant in Manhattan. 342 00:18:31,668 --> 00:18:35,043 As a merchant, he could be, really, anyplace. 343 00:18:35,168 --> 00:18:37,210 He could be down by the waterfront. 344 00:18:37,293 --> 00:18:39,210 He could be in coffee shops. 345 00:18:39,376 --> 00:18:42,251 He could be chatting in a tavern with people. 346 00:18:42,376 --> 00:18:44,543 So he was gathering information. 347 00:18:44,668 --> 00:18:48,835 So Robert Townsend took the name of Samuel Culper, Jr. 348 00:18:50,335 --> 00:18:52,043 SHATNER: To ensure that their messages 349 00:18:52,168 --> 00:18:55,168 were not read by the British, the Culper Spy Ring devised 350 00:18:55,251 --> 00:18:58,585 ingenious methods of sending coded messages. 351 00:19:00,251 --> 00:19:03,751 The Culper Spy Ring communicated with each other 352 00:19:03,876 --> 00:19:05,918 by mostly letters. 353 00:19:06,085 --> 00:19:09,168 They used numbers to represent words, 354 00:19:09,293 --> 00:19:12,376 about 700 different words. 355 00:19:12,501 --> 00:19:18,168 And these numbers were written in the messages, 356 00:19:18,293 --> 00:19:20,501 and then the spy code was 357 00:19:20,585 --> 00:19:25,126 given to the people who needed to translate the code 358 00:19:25,251 --> 00:19:29,210 at Washington's headquarters or wherever. 359 00:19:30,418 --> 00:19:32,543 SHATNER: Historians have been able to decode and decipher 360 00:19:32,626 --> 00:19:35,876 many Culper Spy Ring messages that still exist today. 361 00:19:37,001 --> 00:19:39,043 But there is one message 362 00:19:39,126 --> 00:19:42,210 that continues to baffle experts. 363 00:19:42,293 --> 00:19:45,293 It's a letter that refers to a mysterious spy 364 00:19:45,418 --> 00:19:49,585 who was known only as 355. 365 00:19:50,710 --> 00:19:55,043 There is a spy letter, dated August 15, 1779, 366 00:19:55,168 --> 00:19:58,001 written by Abraham Woodhull, 367 00:19:58,126 --> 00:20:00,543 in which he says that he's going to go into the city, 368 00:20:00,668 --> 00:20:03,210 into Manhattan, to gather information, 369 00:20:03,376 --> 00:20:07,043 with the help of a "355." 370 00:20:07,168 --> 00:20:09,710 So this number, 355, 371 00:20:09,793 --> 00:20:12,335 is a very tantalizing and mysterious detail 372 00:20:12,418 --> 00:20:16,043 that leads to speculation because 355 373 00:20:16,168 --> 00:20:21,543 is the numerical substitution in the spy code for "lady." 374 00:20:21,626 --> 00:20:25,710 It's so fascinating to think about a lady spy 375 00:20:25,835 --> 00:20:28,710 during the Revolutionary War that this has 376 00:20:28,793 --> 00:20:32,835 fired the imagination of hundreds of people 377 00:20:32,918 --> 00:20:36,251 that have written books about who this spy could be. 378 00:20:37,710 --> 00:20:40,876 SHATNER: Over the years, there has been intense speculation 379 00:20:41,001 --> 00:20:45,251 as to the identity of Agent 355 and what role 380 00:20:45,376 --> 00:20:48,626 she played in the Culper Spy Ring. 381 00:20:48,751 --> 00:20:51,710 Some experts believe there is evidence to suggest 382 00:20:51,793 --> 00:20:54,293 that the woman may have been an African-American slave 383 00:20:54,418 --> 00:20:57,335 who was known as Liss. 384 00:20:58,543 --> 00:21:02,126 BELLERJEAU: Liss was born into slavery in Robert Townsend's household, 385 00:21:02,251 --> 00:21:04,085 Townsend was the lead spy 386 00:21:04,210 --> 00:21:07,710 of the Culper Spy Ring, Culper Jr. 387 00:21:07,793 --> 00:21:10,501 Now, the British had promised escaped American slaves 388 00:21:10,585 --> 00:21:12,626 if they would come over to the British side, 389 00:21:12,751 --> 00:21:15,668 at the end of the war, they could become free. 390 00:21:15,751 --> 00:21:17,585 And one of the British commanders 391 00:21:17,751 --> 00:21:19,710 that was a leading abolitionist 392 00:21:19,793 --> 00:21:22,876 was a man named Colonel John Graves Simcoe. 393 00:21:23,918 --> 00:21:29,210 And in May of 1779, Simcoe was staying in the Townsend home. 394 00:21:29,293 --> 00:21:31,835 Liss got to know this commander, 395 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:36,001 and when Simcoe left the house, she escaped with him. 396 00:21:37,210 --> 00:21:39,793 SHATNER: In recent years, some historians have theorized 397 00:21:39,918 --> 00:21:43,043 that Liss's escape with Colonel Simcoe 398 00:21:43,126 --> 00:21:44,960 was actually a ploy, 399 00:21:45,085 --> 00:21:49,626 and that the real reason Liss left Robert Townsend's house 400 00:21:49,751 --> 00:21:53,876 was so that she could spy on the British army. 401 00:21:56,626 --> 00:21:59,376 BELLERJEAU: Now, if Liss was inside British headquarters, 402 00:21:59,460 --> 00:22:02,293 serving as an enslaved person, 403 00:22:02,418 --> 00:22:05,460 she could pass through rooms and observe things, 404 00:22:05,585 --> 00:22:08,876 overhear things, and she wouldn't even be noticed. 405 00:22:10,126 --> 00:22:13,626 SHATNER: Was Liss actually a double agent who was 406 00:22:13,751 --> 00:22:16,251 secretly working with the Culper Spy Ring? 407 00:22:16,418 --> 00:22:18,543 It's an intriguing theory. 408 00:22:19,626 --> 00:22:23,960 And some experts propose that not only was Liss 355, 409 00:22:24,085 --> 00:22:27,668 but also it's possible she played an important role 410 00:22:27,751 --> 00:22:32,376 in exposing America's most notorious turncoat: 411 00:22:33,376 --> 00:22:34,918 Benedict Arnold. 412 00:22:36,043 --> 00:22:39,710 There was a secret meeting of the British officers 413 00:22:39,876 --> 00:22:42,293 held at a house in East Hampton. 414 00:22:42,418 --> 00:22:45,085 Colonel Simcoe went out with his troops to this meeting, 415 00:22:45,210 --> 00:22:49,043 and the British talked about how they had just secured 416 00:22:49,126 --> 00:22:51,335 the deal with Benedict Arnold 417 00:22:51,418 --> 00:22:55,543 to give up the fort at West Point for money. 418 00:22:55,626 --> 00:22:58,376 Now, an account was written of this meeting 419 00:22:58,501 --> 00:23:01,168 that said that an enslaved woman in the house 420 00:23:01,293 --> 00:23:04,251 was passing through a room 421 00:23:04,418 --> 00:23:08,043 and overheard the men talking about how an American general 422 00:23:08,210 --> 00:23:11,460 was gonna give up an American fort to the British. 423 00:23:11,585 --> 00:23:14,710 This woman is described as a waitress 424 00:23:14,835 --> 00:23:18,710 or perhaps mistress to Colonel Simcoe. 425 00:23:18,835 --> 00:23:21,126 That's the woman who I think could be Liss. 426 00:23:22,418 --> 00:23:25,043 SHATNER: Curiously, less than one month after 427 00:23:25,210 --> 00:23:27,460 this secret meeting took place, 428 00:23:27,585 --> 00:23:32,043 Benedict Arnold was revealed to be a traitor to the Revolution. 429 00:23:33,043 --> 00:23:36,251 There are those who believe that the timing of these events 430 00:23:36,376 --> 00:23:38,835 is no coincidence, 431 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,668 and that Liss provided crucial information 432 00:23:42,793 --> 00:23:46,501 that made it possible to expose Arnold. 433 00:23:48,543 --> 00:23:52,210 But ultimately, the real identity 434 00:23:52,376 --> 00:23:56,876 of 355 remains unknown. 435 00:23:58,001 --> 00:24:01,918 OLLY: We know the other members of the Culper Spy Ring. 436 00:24:02,043 --> 00:24:06,793 But who was this woman who was coded as 355? 437 00:24:06,918 --> 00:24:09,001 Today, we're used to women 438 00:24:09,085 --> 00:24:11,168 playing important roles as spies. 439 00:24:11,251 --> 00:24:14,585 But in the Revolutionary War, that would have been very rare, 440 00:24:14,710 --> 00:24:19,335 and so this has fascinated people since 1779. 441 00:24:20,460 --> 00:24:24,585 Will we ever find out who the mysterious Agent 355 was? 442 00:24:24,751 --> 00:24:27,918 Perhaps time will tell, but, fortunately, 443 00:24:28,043 --> 00:24:31,460 not all of the Founding Fathers' secrets have been buried. 444 00:24:31,585 --> 00:24:34,710 In fact, some may be hidden in plain sight 445 00:24:34,835 --> 00:24:38,085 on the streets of Washington, D.C. 446 00:24:45,251 --> 00:24:47,085 SHATNER: Here, on the bank of the Potomac River, 447 00:24:47,210 --> 00:24:52,335 is a lighthouse that dates back to the 18th century. 448 00:24:52,460 --> 00:24:55,793 And hidden within the sea wall of the house 449 00:24:55,918 --> 00:24:58,876 is a rather curious monument. 450 00:24:59,043 --> 00:25:02,210 It's a three-foot-tall stone block 451 00:25:02,335 --> 00:25:05,710 that was placed in this location to mark the southern boundary 452 00:25:05,876 --> 00:25:09,126 of the District of Columbia. 453 00:25:09,251 --> 00:25:13,210 The boundary stones surrounding the District, 454 00:25:13,335 --> 00:25:15,335 those are still out there. 455 00:25:15,418 --> 00:25:18,210 You can find those boundary stones 456 00:25:18,335 --> 00:25:20,043 all over the area. 457 00:25:20,210 --> 00:25:21,626 In the middle of streets, 458 00:25:21,751 --> 00:25:26,001 in people's backyards, in parking lots. 459 00:25:26,085 --> 00:25:30,001 They demarcate what is federal territory for the city, 460 00:25:30,085 --> 00:25:33,835 and what is Virginia and Maryland. 461 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,251 Thomas Jefferson, actually, was the one who said, 462 00:25:37,418 --> 00:25:41,043 "Let's make the lines surrounding the city the shape 463 00:25:41,126 --> 00:25:44,710 of a diamond sitting on its point." 464 00:25:44,835 --> 00:25:47,543 So, that was his contribution. 465 00:25:47,710 --> 00:25:50,710 That's why we have the shape we do today. 466 00:25:50,876 --> 00:25:53,543 SHATNER: All told, there are 40 boundary stones 467 00:25:53,668 --> 00:25:55,835 surrounding Washington, D.C. 468 00:25:55,918 --> 00:26:00,876 In 1791, each stone was carefully placed 469 00:26:01,043 --> 00:26:05,085 by a group of local Freemasons in an elaborate ritual, under 470 00:26:05,210 --> 00:26:07,918 the orders of then-President George Washington. 471 00:26:08,085 --> 00:26:12,210 They form an area that is precisely ten miles long 472 00:26:12,335 --> 00:26:15,501 by ten miles wide, defining the original borders 473 00:26:15,585 --> 00:26:17,626 of the District of Columbia. 474 00:26:17,751 --> 00:26:20,876 And there are those who believe 475 00:26:21,001 --> 00:26:24,210 that the careful geometry of America's capital 476 00:26:24,376 --> 00:26:29,001 held deep significance for the Founding Fathers. 477 00:26:29,126 --> 00:26:32,543 SELMAN: There are some people who would equate 478 00:26:32,626 --> 00:26:35,835 the relationship between those boundary stones 479 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:39,126 that surround the city-- that diamond shape-- 480 00:26:39,251 --> 00:26:45,001 with the Masons having designed the square and compass, 481 00:26:45,085 --> 00:26:48,085 their symbol, into the pattern of the city. 482 00:26:49,293 --> 00:26:54,710 The geometry and the meaning behind numbers and symbols 483 00:26:54,835 --> 00:26:58,043 are part of what's known as "sacred geometry," 484 00:26:58,168 --> 00:27:01,543 and was standard practice for artists 485 00:27:01,626 --> 00:27:04,960 and architects at the time. 486 00:27:05,085 --> 00:27:07,085 So, it's a methodology and a technique. 487 00:27:07,251 --> 00:27:10,918 SHATNER: Is the diamond shape of the District of Columbia 488 00:27:11,085 --> 00:27:15,376 actually a Freemason symbol hiding in plain sight? 489 00:27:15,501 --> 00:27:17,418 And if so, what purpose does such 490 00:27:17,543 --> 00:27:19,793 an unusual configuration serve? 491 00:27:19,918 --> 00:27:22,710 Perhaps the answer can be found by examining how 492 00:27:22,835 --> 00:27:25,918 the Founding Fathers oversaw the construction 493 00:27:26,043 --> 00:27:29,418 of the nation's capital city 494 00:27:29,543 --> 00:27:32,210 that lies within the District. 495 00:27:34,793 --> 00:27:37,710 In March 1791, President Washington 496 00:27:37,835 --> 00:27:39,835 appointed French architect 497 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,793 Pierre Charles L'Enfant to design the city. 498 00:27:44,793 --> 00:27:48,376 HODAPP: Washington became deeply involved 499 00:27:48,460 --> 00:27:50,251 in approving L'Enfant's designs. 500 00:27:50,418 --> 00:27:53,626 He got the guy hired, and was very, very interested 501 00:27:53,751 --> 00:27:55,043 in the design of the city. 502 00:27:55,168 --> 00:27:58,668 European capital cities were chaotic, 503 00:27:58,751 --> 00:28:01,210 their streets changed names every ten feet, 504 00:28:01,376 --> 00:28:04,251 and they followed strange paths and creeks. 505 00:28:04,418 --> 00:28:08,126 Well, Washington said this new city won't be that. 506 00:28:08,251 --> 00:28:10,876 It will be a utopian city, a planned city. 507 00:28:11,043 --> 00:28:15,835 And so it's not surprising that when L'Enfant was designing 508 00:28:15,918 --> 00:28:19,835 this very geometric, very balanced federal city, 509 00:28:19,918 --> 00:28:24,043 that there are many, many layers of Masonic symbolism. 510 00:28:25,168 --> 00:28:28,168 There are very few cities in the world that are 511 00:28:28,251 --> 00:28:30,918 intentionally designed as fully as Washington. 512 00:28:31,043 --> 00:28:34,168 The interesting thing is that, quite often, 513 00:28:34,293 --> 00:28:38,085 the assumption is that there's a gridded street system, 514 00:28:38,210 --> 00:28:40,376 and then these avenues were laid on top 515 00:28:40,543 --> 00:28:44,210 to connect topography or significant points. 516 00:28:44,335 --> 00:28:47,918 That's just the opposite of what L'Enfant actually did. 517 00:28:48,043 --> 00:28:51,793 He laid out the angled avenues first, 518 00:28:51,918 --> 00:28:54,835 and then the grid grew out of that. 519 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,918 Washington and the founders 520 00:28:58,043 --> 00:29:01,043 and Pierre L'Enfant wanted to 521 00:29:01,168 --> 00:29:04,085 physically embody the geometry 522 00:29:04,251 --> 00:29:07,210 in the pattern of the city itself. 523 00:29:07,293 --> 00:29:11,501 When you look at the city top down, you will see plenty 524 00:29:11,585 --> 00:29:15,585 of geometric shapes as a result of these interactions, 525 00:29:15,710 --> 00:29:19,626 so triangles, rectangles, 526 00:29:19,751 --> 00:29:22,001 circles, you name it. 527 00:29:22,126 --> 00:29:23,710 What's the idea behind it? 528 00:29:23,793 --> 00:29:28,585 Geometry is a synonym of masonry. 529 00:29:30,001 --> 00:29:34,668 The universal symbol of Freemasonry has the compasses, 530 00:29:34,751 --> 00:29:37,751 the square, and then you have the letter "G." 531 00:29:37,876 --> 00:29:40,751 And the letter "G" is the initial of geometry, 532 00:29:40,918 --> 00:29:44,876 because we in Freemasonry refer to the deity 533 00:29:45,043 --> 00:29:49,001 as the Grand Architect of the universe, 534 00:29:49,126 --> 00:29:53,043 or the Grand Geometrician. 535 00:29:53,210 --> 00:29:57,251 In other words, through symbols, deep thoughts are conveyed. 536 00:29:57,376 --> 00:30:01,376 SHATNER: Did the Founding Fathers encode Freemason symbols into 537 00:30:01,501 --> 00:30:04,210 the streets and buildings of Washington, D.C.? 538 00:30:04,335 --> 00:30:07,460 And if so, what is the meaning of these messages 539 00:30:07,585 --> 00:30:10,626 that they left behind for future generations? 540 00:30:11,626 --> 00:30:14,460 There are those who believe that a clue can be found 541 00:30:14,585 --> 00:30:18,335 by closely examining the U.S. Capitol building. 542 00:30:19,585 --> 00:30:23,251 The city of Washington is divided into four quadrants. 543 00:30:24,168 --> 00:30:26,918 At the intersection of the four quadrants-- 544 00:30:27,043 --> 00:30:31,918 it's called Point Zero-- is the United States Capitol. 545 00:30:32,043 --> 00:30:35,710 The U.S. Capitol is elevated on a hill, 546 00:30:35,793 --> 00:30:40,168 and the idea here is that this is 547 00:30:40,251 --> 00:30:43,168 where the people and the states come together, 548 00:30:43,251 --> 00:30:45,960 not one person, like a king. 549 00:30:46,085 --> 00:30:50,043 And it was to remind all future members of Congress, 550 00:30:50,168 --> 00:30:51,918 your mission is not about power. 551 00:30:52,085 --> 00:30:55,043 Your mission is to serve the people by promoting 552 00:30:55,126 --> 00:30:58,335 their happiness, their peace and their prosperity. 553 00:31:01,043 --> 00:31:03,335 Was Washington, D.C. designed to be a symbol 554 00:31:03,418 --> 00:31:06,210 of the Founding Fathers' beliefs? 555 00:31:06,335 --> 00:31:08,668 Perhaps, but there are rumors that they left behind 556 00:31:08,751 --> 00:31:12,043 an even more important message for future generations. 557 00:31:12,210 --> 00:31:16,043 One that was concealed in the original cornerstone 558 00:31:16,168 --> 00:31:18,126 of the White House. 559 00:31:27,085 --> 00:31:29,210 (man declaims) 560 00:31:29,335 --> 00:31:33,043 SHATNER: A group of Freemasons perform a sacred ceremony 561 00:31:33,126 --> 00:31:35,001 in which they lay the first stone 562 00:31:35,126 --> 00:31:38,376 used in the construction of the White House. 563 00:31:38,501 --> 00:31:41,418 The large stone is intended to be the foundation 564 00:31:41,585 --> 00:31:44,126 of the southeast corner of the building, 565 00:31:44,251 --> 00:31:47,751 and is referred to as the "cornerstone." 566 00:31:49,001 --> 00:31:51,918 When the White House cornerstone was dedicated, 567 00:31:52,085 --> 00:31:56,043 there was corn, wine, and oil poured on top of it. 568 00:31:56,210 --> 00:31:58,960 It's the corn of nourishment, 569 00:31:59,085 --> 00:32:01,543 the wine of refreshment 570 00:32:01,668 --> 00:32:04,418 and the oil of joy. 571 00:32:04,543 --> 00:32:08,085 And that really expresses the hopes of the Masons involved 572 00:32:08,251 --> 00:32:12,210 for the success of not only that building, 573 00:32:12,293 --> 00:32:14,251 but what it represents-- the system of government, 574 00:32:14,376 --> 00:32:16,751 and, by extension, the nation. 575 00:32:18,085 --> 00:32:20,751 SHATNER: It's believed that, as part of the ceremony, 576 00:32:20,876 --> 00:32:23,418 the Freemasons placed objects of great importance 577 00:32:23,543 --> 00:32:26,543 in a time capsule that was put inside 578 00:32:26,710 --> 00:32:30,710 a compartment located within the cornerstone. 579 00:32:30,835 --> 00:32:33,460 For centuries, historians have wondered 580 00:32:33,585 --> 00:32:36,001 what the Founding Fathers may have hidden 581 00:32:36,085 --> 00:32:38,210 in the White House cornerstone. 582 00:32:39,251 --> 00:32:41,710 GEIGER: We know that the Freemasons put time capsules 583 00:32:41,835 --> 00:32:43,043 in other buildings and monuments. 584 00:32:43,126 --> 00:32:45,001 And since this was the cornerstone 585 00:32:45,126 --> 00:32:47,835 of the president's house, they might have put 586 00:32:47,918 --> 00:32:49,460 something very important in there. 587 00:32:50,335 --> 00:32:52,626 One of the things that has been speculated 588 00:32:52,751 --> 00:32:55,668 is that they would have had some alternate versions of founding 589 00:32:55,793 --> 00:32:59,168 documents of America, like a version of the Constitution 590 00:32:59,251 --> 00:33:01,876 that also included in it the Masons' vision of 591 00:33:02,001 --> 00:33:03,793 how the nation was supposed to proceed. 592 00:33:04,835 --> 00:33:08,043 SHATNER: An alternate version of the Constitution 593 00:33:08,126 --> 00:33:11,210 placed in the cornerstone of the White House? 594 00:33:11,376 --> 00:33:13,168 But what reason is there to think 595 00:33:13,251 --> 00:33:15,793 that this document existed? 596 00:33:15,918 --> 00:33:19,001 Something that often gets lost in the shuffle in the whole 597 00:33:19,126 --> 00:33:22,168 history of the Revolution is that the Constitution 598 00:33:22,293 --> 00:33:27,585 and the Republic it created wasn't the first iteration. 599 00:33:28,543 --> 00:33:31,668 So, what actually came out of the Revolution were 600 00:33:31,793 --> 00:33:34,085 the Articles of Confederation, 601 00:33:34,251 --> 00:33:37,335 which from 1781 to 1789 602 00:33:37,418 --> 00:33:40,543 are actually what governed the new country. 603 00:33:40,626 --> 00:33:43,335 But the Articles of Confederation didn't work, 604 00:33:43,418 --> 00:33:44,876 and so they came up with the Constitution. 605 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:46,710 But it's Plan B. 606 00:33:46,793 --> 00:33:49,543 The other thing you often have to take into account is 607 00:33:49,668 --> 00:33:53,668 there were contentious factions among the Founding Fathers. 608 00:33:53,751 --> 00:33:55,585 They did not all get along. 609 00:33:55,751 --> 00:33:58,001 There were bitter arguments between them. 610 00:33:58,085 --> 00:34:01,876 And so was there an alternative Constitution? 611 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,376 That's certainly quite possible. 612 00:34:04,501 --> 00:34:06,376 GEIGER: Legally, a different version 613 00:34:06,501 --> 00:34:08,960 of the Constitution wouldn't mean anything. 614 00:34:09,085 --> 00:34:10,876 The Constitution we have is the one that was 615 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:12,418 ratified by the states. 616 00:34:12,543 --> 00:34:15,585 Historically, it could be utterly fascinating. 617 00:34:15,710 --> 00:34:18,876 It could be earth-shattering in terms of our understanding 618 00:34:19,043 --> 00:34:21,043 about what intent was for the nation. 619 00:34:21,126 --> 00:34:23,126 The thing is we don't know. 620 00:34:23,251 --> 00:34:25,210 So, you can see why people want to find a cornerstone; 621 00:34:25,335 --> 00:34:27,126 it's because they want to know what's in there, 622 00:34:27,251 --> 00:34:29,210 and what that would mean. 623 00:34:30,460 --> 00:34:32,835 SHATNER: But if there might be an alternate version of 624 00:34:32,918 --> 00:34:36,376 the Constitution hidden in the White House cornerstone, 625 00:34:36,501 --> 00:34:38,835 then it naturally begs the question: 626 00:34:38,918 --> 00:34:42,751 why hasn't anyone checked to see if it's really there? 627 00:34:43,543 --> 00:34:47,543 Well, as it turns out, people have tried to do just that. 628 00:34:47,626 --> 00:34:50,251 But curiously, the cornerstone 629 00:34:50,376 --> 00:34:53,668 of the White House has never been found. 630 00:34:54,751 --> 00:34:57,376 GEIGER: The cornerstone was supposed to be in the southeast corner 631 00:34:57,460 --> 00:34:59,793 of the White House, and the ceremony was reported on, 632 00:34:59,918 --> 00:35:03,543 and then that cornerstone has never been seen since. 633 00:35:04,460 --> 00:35:07,376 It seems to have just kind of disappeared from history. 634 00:35:07,460 --> 00:35:09,585 So, it leaves you the question: where is it? 635 00:35:10,918 --> 00:35:13,376 SHATNER: For more than 200 years, historians have speculated 636 00:35:13,501 --> 00:35:16,835 as to where the cornerstone of the White House is located. 637 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:19,751 In fact, when the White House was completely gutted 638 00:35:19,876 --> 00:35:22,001 for renovation work during the 1940s, 639 00:35:22,126 --> 00:35:25,251 President Harry Truman took the opportunity 640 00:35:25,376 --> 00:35:29,710 to order a thorough search for the elusive cornerstone. 641 00:35:30,668 --> 00:35:33,543 DE HOYOS: When Truman had the White House rebuilt, 642 00:35:33,668 --> 00:35:38,210 or refurbished in the 1950s, they found a lot of stones with 643 00:35:38,335 --> 00:35:42,001 Masonic emblems on them, and being an active Freemason-- 644 00:35:42,085 --> 00:35:44,793 in fact, he was the grand master of Masons in Missouri-- 645 00:35:44,918 --> 00:35:48,543 he had one of these stones sent to each of the grand lodges. 646 00:35:48,668 --> 00:35:52,085 We have one at the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. 647 00:35:52,210 --> 00:35:54,960 It's a stone that has a Masonic mark on it, 648 00:35:55,085 --> 00:35:57,876 but for the cornerstone, who knows? 649 00:35:58,918 --> 00:36:01,376 GEIGER: Truman very much searched for that cornerstone, 650 00:36:01,501 --> 00:36:03,918 and they've never found it. 651 00:36:04,043 --> 00:36:06,210 If the cornerstone is still there, 652 00:36:06,293 --> 00:36:08,001 it has never been discovered. 653 00:36:08,085 --> 00:36:11,918 But maybe it's hidden somewhere and could still be found. 654 00:36:13,460 --> 00:36:16,210 If we ever find the lost cornerstone 655 00:36:16,335 --> 00:36:18,293 of the White House, could it reveal 656 00:36:18,418 --> 00:36:21,751 even more secrets about the Founding Fathers? 657 00:36:21,918 --> 00:36:25,710 It's an exciting possibility, especially given the evidence 658 00:36:25,793 --> 00:36:29,126 that it may have been deliberately concealed. 659 00:36:29,251 --> 00:36:31,418 Just like the supposed secrets surrounding 660 00:36:31,543 --> 00:36:34,126 the untimely death of one the most celebrated 661 00:36:34,251 --> 00:36:35,960 leaders of the American Revolution... 662 00:36:36,085 --> 00:36:38,460 Alexander Hamilton. 663 00:36:45,585 --> 00:36:49,168 The musical Hamilton premieres on Broadway at 664 00:36:49,251 --> 00:36:50,876 the Richard Rogers theatre 665 00:36:51,001 --> 00:36:54,251 and receives rave reviews. 666 00:36:54,418 --> 00:36:58,001 The smash hit explores the life of Alexander Hamilton, 667 00:36:58,085 --> 00:37:02,626 who was one of America's most important Founding Fathers. 668 00:37:02,751 --> 00:37:06,835 Alexander Hamilton was that fiery Founding Father 669 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:10,460 who came here as an immigrant of very humble origins 670 00:37:10,585 --> 00:37:12,543 and wound up one of the most powerful people in the country. 671 00:37:13,585 --> 00:37:16,710 Arguably, no single person had a greater impact on how 672 00:37:16,793 --> 00:37:20,501 the American republic functions than Alexander Hamilton. 673 00:37:21,751 --> 00:37:23,876 SHATNER: After fighting in the Revolutionary War, 674 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:26,168 Alexander Hamilton became the United States' 675 00:37:26,251 --> 00:37:27,876 first Secretary of Treasury, 676 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:31,043 and designed the nation's financial system. 677 00:37:31,126 --> 00:37:33,501 But Hamilton is also famous 678 00:37:33,585 --> 00:37:37,210 for the unusual circumstances of his death, 679 00:37:37,335 --> 00:37:41,001 which came at the hands of his bitter rival, 680 00:37:41,085 --> 00:37:44,126 Vice President Aaron Burr. 681 00:37:44,251 --> 00:37:48,043 There's an account in an upstate New York newspaper 682 00:37:48,168 --> 00:37:49,793 of a dinner party 683 00:37:49,918 --> 00:37:53,710 at which Hamilton called Aaron Burr despicable. 684 00:37:53,876 --> 00:37:57,043 It comes to Aaron Burr's attention, 685 00:37:57,168 --> 00:38:00,835 he writes a letter to Hamilton 686 00:38:00,918 --> 00:38:02,543 demanding an explanation. 687 00:38:02,710 --> 00:38:05,293 There is an exchange of letters. 688 00:38:05,418 --> 00:38:09,085 Hamilton does not satisfy Burr. 689 00:38:09,210 --> 00:38:14,501 And so a duel takes place to resolve this question of honor. 690 00:38:15,668 --> 00:38:18,418 SHATNER: On July 11, 1804, 691 00:38:18,543 --> 00:38:20,835 Hamilton and Burr met 692 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:24,001 in the early morning hours in a secluded field 693 00:38:24,085 --> 00:38:25,668 in Weehawken, New Jersey. 694 00:38:25,751 --> 00:38:29,418 As was the custom at the time, Hamilton provided 695 00:38:29,585 --> 00:38:31,793 both pistols for the duel. 696 00:38:33,085 --> 00:38:35,210 GEIGER: Usually, one person brings both pistols. 697 00:38:35,335 --> 00:38:37,626 They're supposed to be identical. 698 00:38:37,751 --> 00:38:40,460 Now, most duels did not end in deaths. 699 00:38:40,585 --> 00:38:42,376 Most of the time, they would both shoot, 700 00:38:42,460 --> 00:38:43,543 they would both miss, and they would decide 701 00:38:43,668 --> 00:38:45,168 that their honor had been satisfied 702 00:38:45,251 --> 00:38:47,751 and they would walk home. 703 00:38:47,876 --> 00:38:50,293 When there was a call to fire, 704 00:38:50,418 --> 00:38:53,168 Hamilton fired high. 705 00:38:53,251 --> 00:38:55,751 But Aaron Burr was aiming to kill. 706 00:38:55,876 --> 00:38:59,043 Alexander Hamilton was shot a mortal wound. 707 00:38:59,126 --> 00:39:01,418 He died 31 hours later. 708 00:39:01,543 --> 00:39:03,210 SHATNER: The death of Alexander Hamilton marked 709 00:39:03,335 --> 00:39:05,418 the tragic passing of an American hero. 710 00:39:05,543 --> 00:39:08,543 For centuries, Hamilton was portrayed as 711 00:39:08,626 --> 00:39:10,793 a gracious gentleman who aimed high 712 00:39:10,918 --> 00:39:15,876 but was ruthlessly gunned down by the villainous Aaron Burr. 713 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:19,626 But then, 172 years after Hamilton's death, 714 00:39:19,751 --> 00:39:21,710 new evidence came to light 715 00:39:21,835 --> 00:39:26,043 that called these assumptions into question. 716 00:39:27,210 --> 00:39:29,501 The pistols that were used in the Hamilton-Burr duel 717 00:39:29,585 --> 00:39:31,835 were acquired by Chase Bank, 718 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:35,793 and they would put the pistols out on display now and again. 719 00:39:35,918 --> 00:39:39,751 In 1976, they allowed the Smithsonian Institution 720 00:39:39,876 --> 00:39:44,126 to inspect the pistols, and they found something shocking. 721 00:39:46,251 --> 00:39:49,168 One of the pistols had a special mechanism that was 722 00:39:49,251 --> 00:39:51,210 built-in to cheat in duels. 723 00:39:52,085 --> 00:39:54,585 If you pushed the trigger all the way forward, 724 00:39:54,710 --> 00:39:56,085 it would create a hair-trigger pistol 725 00:39:56,251 --> 00:40:00,335 that might allow you to shoot a hair, moment, ahead 726 00:40:00,460 --> 00:40:02,543 of your opponent. 727 00:40:02,626 --> 00:40:06,793 Now, what we know is that Hamilton fired high. 728 00:40:06,918 --> 00:40:10,001 Well, if you're shooting with a hair trigger, 729 00:40:10,085 --> 00:40:13,126 as you go to aim, that could cause you to fire high. 730 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:16,210 So, the fact that he shot high 731 00:40:16,335 --> 00:40:20,376 might suggest that he intended to use the hair trigger 732 00:40:20,543 --> 00:40:22,376 on the pistol to shoot ahead of Burr, 733 00:40:22,460 --> 00:40:24,460 and that caused him to shoot high 734 00:40:24,585 --> 00:40:26,210 and resulted in his own death. 735 00:40:26,335 --> 00:40:28,960 SHATNER: Did Alexander Hamilton try 736 00:40:29,085 --> 00:40:30,960 to rig his duel with Aaron Burr 737 00:40:31,085 --> 00:40:34,126 and, ironically, brought about his own demise? 738 00:40:34,251 --> 00:40:37,001 It's hard to say for certain, but the story shows 739 00:40:37,085 --> 00:40:39,501 that our perception of the Founding Fathers 740 00:40:39,585 --> 00:40:41,543 changes over time, 741 00:40:41,710 --> 00:40:45,501 and will continue to evolve in the future. 742 00:40:45,626 --> 00:40:49,626 The American experiment is still in its early days. 743 00:40:49,751 --> 00:40:52,918 If you compare us to England, 744 00:40:53,043 --> 00:40:57,501 or France, or China, 745 00:40:57,585 --> 00:41:02,543 or Egypt, we're still a pretty brand-new country. 746 00:41:02,668 --> 00:41:05,501 And so our ways of looking 747 00:41:05,585 --> 00:41:08,251 at the Founding Fathers are never static. 748 00:41:09,251 --> 00:41:12,210 Some of their reputations go up, 749 00:41:12,335 --> 00:41:14,126 others get a little scuffed. 750 00:41:14,251 --> 00:41:18,710 But we should also remember they put their lives on the line 751 00:41:18,835 --> 00:41:23,210 and created a new nation that would be organized 752 00:41:23,335 --> 00:41:26,918 on new, improved principles, 753 00:41:27,043 --> 00:41:30,710 and became a beacon to the world. 754 00:41:31,793 --> 00:41:34,960 It's difficult to look back at the Founding Fathers 755 00:41:35,085 --> 00:41:38,626 and not feel a sense of awe at their monumental achievements. 756 00:41:39,501 --> 00:41:42,376 But no matter how much we know, 757 00:41:42,460 --> 00:41:44,126 or think we know, about these men, 758 00:41:44,251 --> 00:41:47,835 their towering legacy is so larger-than-life 759 00:41:47,918 --> 00:41:51,710 that it's very hard to know the truth 760 00:41:51,793 --> 00:41:53,376 about who they really were. 761 00:41:53,460 --> 00:41:57,376 Which is why the secrets of the Founding Fathers will, 762 00:41:57,460 --> 00:41:59,376 in all likelihood, remain... 763 00:41:59,543 --> 00:42:01,543 unexplained. 764 00:42:01,668 --> 00:42:04,126 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A E NETWORKS 765 00:42:04,176 --> 00:42:08,726 Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0