1 00:00:02,042 --> 00:00:04,000 WILLIAM SHATNER: A secret society 2 00:00:04,083 --> 00:00:05,833 that plotted America's independence. 3 00:00:05,917 --> 00:00:07,708 A heavenly vision 4 00:00:07,875 --> 00:00:10,167 received by George Washington. 5 00:00:10,333 --> 00:00:14,750 And secret documents that may have been hidden... 6 00:00:14,875 --> 00:00:17,042 in the White House. 7 00:00:17,167 --> 00:00:19,042 In the United States, 8 00:00:19,167 --> 00:00:21,875 the foundation for freedom and democracy was laid 9 00:00:22,042 --> 00:00:23,750 by a group of men who are referred to 10 00:00:23,875 --> 00:00:25,833 as "the Founding Fathers." 11 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:27,500 But more than two centuries 12 00:00:27,625 --> 00:00:29,292 after their bold vision came to life, 13 00:00:29,417 --> 00:00:31,500 new information has emerged 14 00:00:31,625 --> 00:00:35,875 about the complexities, the agendas, and the secrets 15 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,250 of these important historical figures. 16 00:00:38,375 --> 00:00:41,000 What truths have remained in the shadows 17 00:00:41,083 --> 00:00:43,458 about the men who formed America? 18 00:00:43,583 --> 00:00:46,667 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 19 00:00:46,792 --> 00:00:48,750 ♪ ♪ 20 00:01:07,500 --> 00:01:10,833 More than a hundred English colonists storm out 21 00:01:10,958 --> 00:01:12,250 of the Old South Meeting House 22 00:01:12,375 --> 00:01:15,125 and march toward the nearby harbor. 23 00:01:15,250 --> 00:01:18,917 The protestors, known as "the Sons of Liberty," 24 00:01:19,042 --> 00:01:22,583 are not happy with the British crown. 25 00:01:22,708 --> 00:01:25,000 RICHARD SPENCE: The Sons of Liberty were a kind of 26 00:01:25,125 --> 00:01:28,292 proto-revolutionary group, and one of the things 27 00:01:28,375 --> 00:01:30,458 that they're angry about is the price of tea. 28 00:01:30,583 --> 00:01:33,667 The colonists had been getting their tea from smugglers, 29 00:01:33,833 --> 00:01:37,250 but then the British crown basically turned around, and... 30 00:01:37,375 --> 00:01:39,833 and it handed a monopoly 31 00:01:39,958 --> 00:01:42,375 on tea trade to the East India Company. 32 00:01:42,542 --> 00:01:45,583 And the tea provided to the colonies 33 00:01:45,708 --> 00:01:48,458 by the East India Company was cheaper, and so, 34 00:01:48,583 --> 00:01:51,292 when the East India Company came in, all these little 35 00:01:51,417 --> 00:01:55,667 mom-and-pop smuggling operations were put out of business. 36 00:01:55,792 --> 00:01:57,583 Well, that made people angry. 37 00:01:57,708 --> 00:01:59,833 Their economic interests were threatened. 38 00:01:59,958 --> 00:02:03,083 SHATNER: As the story goes, the Sons of Liberty stormed 39 00:02:03,208 --> 00:02:05,958 the British East India Company's ships, 40 00:02:06,042 --> 00:02:10,458 and dumped more than 90,000 pounds of tea into the harbor, 41 00:02:10,583 --> 00:02:13,625 destroying property that today would be worth 42 00:02:13,708 --> 00:02:16,500 over $1.5 million. 43 00:02:19,208 --> 00:02:22,917 This revolutionary act of defiance became known 44 00:02:23,042 --> 00:02:25,792 as "the Boston Tea Party." 45 00:02:25,875 --> 00:02:28,167 SPENCE: Some people argue the American Revolution began 46 00:02:28,292 --> 00:02:31,167 in 1773 with the Boston Tea Party. 47 00:02:31,292 --> 00:02:33,250 By the time of the Revolution, 48 00:02:33,375 --> 00:02:35,583 the British colonies had a population 49 00:02:35,708 --> 00:02:38,208 approaching three million people. 50 00:02:38,375 --> 00:02:43,583 And theoretically, the colonies existed to enrich the empire. 51 00:02:43,708 --> 00:02:46,333 On the other hand, the people living 52 00:02:46,417 --> 00:02:48,750 in those colonies believed that they had settled there, 53 00:02:48,875 --> 00:02:52,042 and that its economy existed to enrich them. 54 00:02:52,208 --> 00:02:56,083 And this is what the conflict arose over. 55 00:02:56,208 --> 00:02:58,833 And that, then, would eventually roll over 56 00:02:58,917 --> 00:03:02,125 into the revolution itself. 57 00:03:02,250 --> 00:03:04,833 The American Revolution was a very new thing, 58 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,083 a very dramatic thing. 59 00:03:07,208 --> 00:03:11,875 This was the first colonial revolt 60 00:03:12,042 --> 00:03:14,417 in the modern world. 61 00:03:14,542 --> 00:03:18,875 The inhabitants of British North America were supposed 62 00:03:19,042 --> 00:03:21,208 to populate this new world 63 00:03:21,333 --> 00:03:26,417 and run it for the benefit of the home country. 64 00:03:26,542 --> 00:03:30,542 And at the end of the 18th century, they said, "No." 65 00:03:30,667 --> 00:03:34,000 Human nature gave people rights, 66 00:03:34,125 --> 00:03:36,667 and that governments had to respect them, 67 00:03:36,833 --> 00:03:40,333 and if they didn't, it was legitimate to change them 68 00:03:40,417 --> 00:03:42,500 or even overthrow them. 69 00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:45,417 SHATNER: The leaders of the American Revolution 70 00:03:45,542 --> 00:03:48,667 included icons such as George Washington, 71 00:03:48,750 --> 00:03:51,833 Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin 72 00:03:51,917 --> 00:03:54,625 and Alexander Hamilton, among many others. 73 00:03:54,708 --> 00:03:58,833 These visionaries, collectively known as the Founding Fathers, 74 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,125 advanced the American ideals of democratic government, 75 00:04:02,250 --> 00:04:05,458 despite the fact that, at the time, 76 00:04:05,542 --> 00:04:08,208 opposing the king of England was both bold 77 00:04:08,333 --> 00:04:10,458 and dangerous. 78 00:04:11,375 --> 00:04:13,458 CHRIS HODAPP: The Founding Fathers lived 79 00:04:13,583 --> 00:04:15,875 in a period of divine right of kings, 80 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,708 where a king's decision 81 00:04:17,875 --> 00:04:22,667 was equal to getting the word of God handed down. 82 00:04:22,750 --> 00:04:27,667 And so, really, it became a time of questioning existing 83 00:04:27,792 --> 00:04:30,125 divine-right-of-king style government, 84 00:04:30,208 --> 00:04:32,167 expressing the belief that you didn't have 85 00:04:32,250 --> 00:04:34,042 to have royalty running a country. 86 00:04:34,208 --> 00:04:36,167 SPENCE: The Founding Fathers-- 87 00:04:36,292 --> 00:04:39,500 they were all men of education, 88 00:04:39,625 --> 00:04:43,083 some degree of wealth and influence 89 00:04:43,208 --> 00:04:47,917 who were, in many cases, secret in their activities, 90 00:04:48,042 --> 00:04:52,542 because if you're going to plot a rebellion against the king, 91 00:04:52,667 --> 00:04:55,958 secrecy is necessary, because if not, 92 00:04:56,042 --> 00:04:59,542 you'll all be hanging within about a week's time. 93 00:04:59,708 --> 00:05:04,000 And this is where you bring in our friends, the Freemasons, 94 00:05:04,167 --> 00:05:08,000 because what aids secrecy 95 00:05:08,125 --> 00:05:10,167 better than a secret society? 96 00:05:11,083 --> 00:05:13,583 SHATNER: The Fraternal Order of Freemasons 97 00:05:13,708 --> 00:05:16,167 is a secretive brotherhood that traces its origins back 98 00:05:16,250 --> 00:05:17,958 to the 13th century, 99 00:05:18,083 --> 00:05:21,792 when European stonemasons formed the organization 100 00:05:21,917 --> 00:05:23,667 as a way of bringing together like-minded 101 00:05:23,792 --> 00:05:25,833 and free-thinking individuals. 102 00:05:25,958 --> 00:05:30,292 Centuries later, when English colonists came to the New World, 103 00:05:30,375 --> 00:05:33,542 many of them established local Freemason groups 104 00:05:33,667 --> 00:05:35,500 and congregated in meeting places 105 00:05:35,625 --> 00:05:38,833 that were known as "lodges." 106 00:05:38,958 --> 00:05:41,583 AKDRAM ELIAS: The purpose of Masonic lodges 107 00:05:41,708 --> 00:05:45,000 in the American colonies was really very important. 108 00:05:45,125 --> 00:05:48,458 It was the place where pillars 109 00:05:48,542 --> 00:05:51,583 of their local community would come together. 110 00:05:51,708 --> 00:05:54,417 There are some very prominent Freemasons 111 00:05:54,542 --> 00:05:57,167 among the Founding Fathers of the United States. 112 00:05:57,250 --> 00:06:00,583 You have people like George Washington, 113 00:06:00,708 --> 00:06:04,333 Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, 114 00:06:04,458 --> 00:06:06,625 and Paul Revere was one of them, as well. 115 00:06:08,292 --> 00:06:10,000 SPENCE: As a whole, Freemasonry tended 116 00:06:10,125 --> 00:06:14,208 to be kind of broadly connected with free thinking, 117 00:06:14,333 --> 00:06:16,833 fellowship and a clear rejection 118 00:06:16,917 --> 00:06:19,958 of monarchy and titles of nobility. 119 00:06:20,042 --> 00:06:22,000 Another thing which Freemasonry would contribute 120 00:06:22,167 --> 00:06:25,292 to this whole idea of revolutionary conspiracy 121 00:06:25,417 --> 00:06:27,917 was the inherent secrecy of the organization. 122 00:06:28,042 --> 00:06:32,583 The secrets of Freemasonry are only for initiated members. 123 00:06:32,708 --> 00:06:34,792 You're never supposed to talk about that. 124 00:06:34,875 --> 00:06:37,833 And when you have revolution involved, 125 00:06:37,917 --> 00:06:40,000 they're necessarily not just secret, 126 00:06:40,083 --> 00:06:42,792 but actually conspiratorial about what they were doing. 127 00:06:43,667 --> 00:06:45,792 SHATNER: Some historians have suggested 128 00:06:45,875 --> 00:06:48,542 that Freemasonry was more than just a secret society 129 00:06:48,667 --> 00:06:52,917 that was used to conceal revolutionary activities. 130 00:06:53,042 --> 00:06:55,917 It may also have been the inspiration 131 00:06:56,042 --> 00:06:58,042 for a hidden agenda 132 00:06:58,208 --> 00:07:02,417 that involved the spiritual beliefs of the Founding Fathers. 133 00:07:02,542 --> 00:07:04,458 ARTURO DE HOYOS: We have to remember, 134 00:07:04,583 --> 00:07:06,625 at the time that Freemasonry developed, 135 00:07:06,708 --> 00:07:09,000 that these men were Christians. 136 00:07:09,167 --> 00:07:12,958 So, Freemasons must believe in a supreme being, 137 00:07:13,042 --> 00:07:17,000 you have to have a hope in the immortality of the soul. 138 00:07:17,125 --> 00:07:19,792 This is something that's spoken of in the Bible. 139 00:07:19,875 --> 00:07:22,167 And this is something that dominated the world 140 00:07:22,333 --> 00:07:24,208 for thousands of years, 141 00:07:24,375 --> 00:07:27,083 and was extremely important to our Founding Fathers. 142 00:07:27,208 --> 00:07:29,750 The American Revolution 143 00:07:29,875 --> 00:07:33,583 was dedicated, in their mind, you know, to the one true God. 144 00:07:34,583 --> 00:07:37,042 SHATNER: Did some of the Founding Fathers believe 145 00:07:37,167 --> 00:07:41,417 that the American Revolution was a kind of spiritual crusade, 146 00:07:41,542 --> 00:07:43,667 undertaken in the name of God? 147 00:07:43,833 --> 00:07:47,333 There are those who believe that the answer is "yes," 148 00:07:47,500 --> 00:07:49,917 and as evidence, they point to the wording 149 00:07:50,042 --> 00:07:52,958 of the Declaration of Independence. 150 00:07:53,042 --> 00:07:56,375 Signed on July 4, 1776, 151 00:07:56,500 --> 00:07:58,125 the document proclaimed 152 00:07:58,208 --> 00:08:00,958 that the colonists were free from Britain, 153 00:08:01,083 --> 00:08:05,333 and stated that human beings have inalienable rights 154 00:08:05,500 --> 00:08:08,417 given to them, not by a king, 155 00:08:08,542 --> 00:08:11,625 but rather by God, their creator. 156 00:08:14,167 --> 00:08:16,750 DE HOYOS: The signers of the Declaration of Independence 157 00:08:16,875 --> 00:08:19,500 were all aware that they were committing treason. 158 00:08:19,625 --> 00:08:22,625 They put their names in bold letters, 159 00:08:22,708 --> 00:08:26,167 and they said so on the Declaration of Independence. 160 00:08:27,375 --> 00:08:30,875 That's very much an American idea. 161 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,542 That sense of fighting for a just cause. 162 00:08:34,667 --> 00:08:37,583 And the people who were members of the Freemasons 163 00:08:37,708 --> 00:08:40,667 in the Revolutionary War believed 164 00:08:40,750 --> 00:08:44,000 that this was divine work. 165 00:08:44,125 --> 00:08:47,792 Were the Founding Fathers inspired not only by politics 166 00:08:47,875 --> 00:08:50,417 when plotting America's independence, 167 00:08:50,542 --> 00:08:54,375 but also by secret spiritual traditions 168 00:08:54,542 --> 00:08:55,917 that dated back centuries? 169 00:08:56,042 --> 00:08:59,500 It may sound farfetched, but what if I told you 170 00:08:59,625 --> 00:09:01,708 that George Washington himself 171 00:09:01,875 --> 00:09:05,167 might have received a divine vision 172 00:09:05,250 --> 00:09:09,083 that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War? 173 00:09:16,458 --> 00:09:19,708 SHATNER: Inside a Masonic lodge, 174 00:09:19,875 --> 00:09:23,167 a 20-year-old man sits blindfolded, 175 00:09:23,292 --> 00:09:27,208 surrounded by Freemasons dressed in dark robes. 176 00:09:27,333 --> 00:09:31,792 He takes a blood oath to join their secret brotherhood 177 00:09:31,917 --> 00:09:36,000 and will remain a member until his death. 178 00:09:36,167 --> 00:09:38,625 This young initiate is none other 179 00:09:38,708 --> 00:09:42,500 than the future first president of the United States... 180 00:09:42,667 --> 00:09:45,000 George Washington. 181 00:09:45,167 --> 00:09:46,500 George Washington, when he joined the lodge 182 00:09:46,667 --> 00:09:48,083 at Fredericksburg, 183 00:09:48,208 --> 00:09:51,500 he had come into a large amount of property. 184 00:09:51,667 --> 00:09:53,958 His father died, and then his older brother died. 185 00:09:54,042 --> 00:09:57,792 And so he joins the Masons because he wants 186 00:09:57,917 --> 00:10:01,042 to be in the company of other important men. 187 00:10:01,208 --> 00:10:04,625 And freemasonry was an important aspect 188 00:10:04,750 --> 00:10:06,583 of his life in those early years. 189 00:10:06,708 --> 00:10:11,333 He brought Masonic philosophy into the way 190 00:10:11,417 --> 00:10:13,333 he commanded troops, as well. 191 00:10:13,458 --> 00:10:15,417 COE: During the revolution, 192 00:10:15,542 --> 00:10:17,708 George Washington is often described 193 00:10:17,833 --> 00:10:21,333 as some sort of founding superhero. 194 00:10:21,417 --> 00:10:23,708 We see Washington in so many of the portraits 195 00:10:23,833 --> 00:10:25,667 of the Founding Fathers, 196 00:10:25,792 --> 00:10:28,417 sort of towering above people, 197 00:10:28,542 --> 00:10:33,125 and part of the reason is he was taller than most people, 198 00:10:33,250 --> 00:10:34,750 and he had presence. 199 00:10:36,042 --> 00:10:38,833 SHATNER: As commander in chief of the Continental Army, 200 00:10:38,917 --> 00:10:41,500 George Washington became the most visible leader 201 00:10:41,625 --> 00:10:43,333 of the American Revolution. 202 00:10:43,458 --> 00:10:45,500 Today, he is often referred to 203 00:10:45,625 --> 00:10:47,875 as the father of the United States. 204 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,000 But while Washington's influence 205 00:10:50,125 --> 00:10:52,500 on American history is well known, 206 00:10:52,667 --> 00:10:54,417 there is much about him 207 00:10:54,542 --> 00:10:57,500 that remains shrouded in mystery. 208 00:10:57,583 --> 00:11:00,208 Washington was famously secretive 209 00:11:00,375 --> 00:11:02,167 about his personal life. 210 00:11:02,333 --> 00:11:07,583 However, we know that he was raised by a single mother 211 00:11:07,708 --> 00:11:12,000 who read the Bible, and very few other books. 212 00:11:12,125 --> 00:11:15,458 He could quote from the Bible. 213 00:11:15,542 --> 00:11:17,667 For example, Washington will say, 214 00:11:17,833 --> 00:11:21,042 "It's Providence that this should happen," 215 00:11:21,167 --> 00:11:25,458 or that God intended him to do something. 216 00:11:25,583 --> 00:11:27,833 BROOKHISER: Washington's God, 217 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,667 and we know this from his correspondence, 218 00:11:30,792 --> 00:11:34,833 intervenes in history, watches over history. 219 00:11:34,917 --> 00:11:38,000 He's this all-powerful force looking over humanity 220 00:11:38,125 --> 00:11:41,833 and human history, and capable of helping you out 221 00:11:41,917 --> 00:11:44,625 if you behaved well, 222 00:11:44,750 --> 00:11:47,708 and if you asked for his help. 223 00:11:47,833 --> 00:11:49,958 SHATNER: Is it possible that, 224 00:11:50,042 --> 00:11:52,917 as both a Freemason and devout Christian, 225 00:11:53,042 --> 00:11:55,250 George Washington secretly believed 226 00:11:55,375 --> 00:11:58,500 that God would intervene on behalf of the colonists 227 00:11:58,625 --> 00:12:00,542 in the American Revolution? 228 00:12:00,708 --> 00:12:02,833 Perhaps the answer can be found 229 00:12:02,958 --> 00:12:06,167 by examining how Washington was able to lead his army 230 00:12:06,333 --> 00:12:08,333 through its lowest point. 231 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,917 After numerous bloody battles against British forces, 232 00:12:21,042 --> 00:12:23,000 General George Washington decides 233 00:12:23,125 --> 00:12:26,625 to encamp the Continental Army for the winter. 234 00:12:26,750 --> 00:12:29,333 For the next several months, 235 00:12:29,417 --> 00:12:34,667 Washington and his troops will have to endure the bitter cold. 236 00:12:34,833 --> 00:12:37,917 BROOKHISER: The problem at Valley Forge was 237 00:12:38,042 --> 00:12:42,708 the Army was just not being supplied with anything. 238 00:12:42,833 --> 00:12:44,750 They didn't have enough food, 239 00:12:44,875 --> 00:12:47,208 they didn't have enough clothing. 240 00:12:47,333 --> 00:12:50,833 The accommodations that they built at the camp 241 00:12:50,958 --> 00:12:52,875 were put up at the last minute. 242 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,083 SPENCE: When you get people 243 00:12:55,208 --> 00:12:59,292 crowded together in unsanitary conditions with low nutrition, 244 00:12:59,417 --> 00:13:01,583 you will have a significant mortality rate. 245 00:13:01,708 --> 00:13:05,208 So, in the Valley Forge situation, 246 00:13:05,333 --> 00:13:09,333 the Continental Army is at a fairly low point, 247 00:13:09,458 --> 00:13:13,917 and during that six months, 20% of its ranks will die. 248 00:13:15,208 --> 00:13:18,458 SHATNER: The conditions at Valley Forge were so severe 249 00:13:18,542 --> 00:13:20,542 that Washington wrote... 250 00:13:31,917 --> 00:13:34,042 But then, 251 00:13:34,167 --> 00:13:37,750 in the Continental Army's darkest hour, 252 00:13:37,875 --> 00:13:43,083 Washington reportedly sought help from a higher power. 253 00:13:43,208 --> 00:13:46,875 COE: As the story goes, Washington got on his knees. 254 00:13:47,042 --> 00:13:49,125 You know, he kneeled at Valley Forge, 255 00:13:49,208 --> 00:13:52,500 and he asked God for help. 256 00:13:52,625 --> 00:13:56,417 GEIGER: The man who first reports Washington praying 257 00:13:56,542 --> 00:13:58,917 at Valley Forge was a man who lived there. 258 00:13:59,042 --> 00:14:01,208 He was a Quaker named Isaac Potts. 259 00:14:01,333 --> 00:14:04,083 And he's the one who says, "Oh, 260 00:14:04,208 --> 00:14:07,083 "I saw him, I was behind a tree. 261 00:14:07,208 --> 00:14:10,500 I saw the Commander-in-Chief, and he's kneeling in prayer." 262 00:14:13,208 --> 00:14:15,667 Washington certainly would have prayed at Valley Forge 263 00:14:15,833 --> 00:14:17,917 because it was terrible. 264 00:14:18,042 --> 00:14:23,250 It was desperate. I think he took the situation 265 00:14:23,375 --> 00:14:26,750 very seriously and hoped 266 00:14:26,875 --> 00:14:30,125 that Providence might improve it. 267 00:14:31,375 --> 00:14:33,208 SHATNER: There were also reports that Washington 268 00:14:33,333 --> 00:14:36,083 not only prayed at Valley Forge, 269 00:14:36,208 --> 00:14:39,208 but also had a divine encounter. 270 00:14:39,375 --> 00:14:43,708 A soldier named Anthony Sherman claimed to witness Washington 271 00:14:43,833 --> 00:14:47,042 saying that he received confirmation 272 00:14:47,167 --> 00:14:50,083 that his prayers had indeed been heard. 273 00:14:50,208 --> 00:14:52,583 GEIGER: The report was that, at Valley Forge, 274 00:14:52,708 --> 00:14:55,333 that Washington said to an officer that he had seen 275 00:14:55,500 --> 00:14:58,667 a vision of an angel talking to him. 276 00:14:59,625 --> 00:15:01,750 The vision given to him by this angel was 277 00:15:01,875 --> 00:15:04,167 the angel essentially waved his hand, 278 00:15:04,250 --> 00:15:08,125 and on one side of America was an ocean and Europe, 279 00:15:08,250 --> 00:15:11,000 and on the other side was an ocean and Asia. 280 00:15:11,167 --> 00:15:14,292 And so that the angel had revealed to George Washington 281 00:15:14,417 --> 00:15:17,958 this vision that America would go from coast to coast. 282 00:15:19,708 --> 00:15:22,250 SHATNER: What occurred after Washington's alleged vision 283 00:15:22,375 --> 00:15:23,500 was very curious. 284 00:15:23,625 --> 00:15:25,875 Against all odds, 285 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:27,583 and despite losing 2,000 men 286 00:15:27,708 --> 00:15:29,625 to cold, starvation and disease, 287 00:15:29,708 --> 00:15:33,083 the Continental Army survived the winter at Valley Forge. 288 00:15:33,208 --> 00:15:37,292 And then, only ten days after leaving the encampment, 289 00:15:37,417 --> 00:15:40,458 Washington and his troops won a decisive victory 290 00:15:40,583 --> 00:15:44,375 over the British at the Battle of Monmouth. 291 00:15:44,500 --> 00:15:47,292 Many Americans came to believe that Washington's prayer 292 00:15:47,417 --> 00:15:52,583 had miraculously changed the colonists' fortunes. 293 00:15:52,708 --> 00:15:55,000 GEIGER: This idea of Washington praying in the woods, 294 00:15:55,167 --> 00:15:58,167 for a young nation that was still a fragile nation, 295 00:15:58,292 --> 00:16:02,167 it gave us this idea that God heard Washington praying. 296 00:16:02,333 --> 00:16:04,125 And so there's a reason to believe that maybe 297 00:16:04,208 --> 00:16:06,708 our nation would survive. 298 00:16:07,792 --> 00:16:10,917 The idea that George Washington received a prophetic vision 299 00:16:11,042 --> 00:16:13,792 that changed the course of American history 300 00:16:13,875 --> 00:16:17,083 is an extraordinary possibility to consider. 301 00:16:17,208 --> 00:16:20,833 But there are other secrets of the Founding Fathers 302 00:16:20,958 --> 00:16:24,458 that, while not quite as otherworldly, 303 00:16:24,542 --> 00:16:26,333 are no less intriguing. 304 00:16:26,458 --> 00:16:30,333 For instance, historians are still debating 305 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:33,167 the true identity of one of the Revolution's 306 00:16:33,333 --> 00:16:36,750 most important spies, who went by the code name 307 00:16:36,875 --> 00:16:39,208 Agent 355. 308 00:16:47,250 --> 00:16:50,375 SHATNER: The British Army scores a decisive victory 309 00:16:50,542 --> 00:16:53,458 over General George Washington and the Continental Army. 310 00:16:53,542 --> 00:16:55,917 The British take control of the city 311 00:16:56,042 --> 00:16:58,375 and make it their military headquarters. 312 00:17:00,083 --> 00:17:04,292 In the Summer of 1776, the Revolutionary War is 313 00:17:04,375 --> 00:17:06,333 not off to a good start for the Americans. 314 00:17:06,417 --> 00:17:09,792 New York is one of the largest cities 315 00:17:09,917 --> 00:17:11,500 in the American colonies at the time. 316 00:17:11,667 --> 00:17:16,000 As a result, Washington needs to retake New York. 317 00:17:16,167 --> 00:17:19,042 And so this demonstrates a really-- a critical need 318 00:17:19,167 --> 00:17:22,042 for intelligence to know what the enemy is doing, 319 00:17:22,208 --> 00:17:24,042 what the forces are comprised of, 320 00:17:24,208 --> 00:17:26,542 what their intentions are. 321 00:17:26,667 --> 00:17:28,292 He needs information. 322 00:17:29,708 --> 00:17:33,042 SHATNER: To obtain the intelligence that he desperately needs 323 00:17:33,167 --> 00:17:36,000 to retake New York City, Washington created 324 00:17:36,083 --> 00:17:39,958 an intelligence network made up not of soldiers, 325 00:17:40,042 --> 00:17:42,333 but rather ordinary citizens 326 00:17:42,417 --> 00:17:45,750 living in and around New York. 327 00:17:45,875 --> 00:17:49,583 The group became known as the Culper Spy Ring. 328 00:17:51,625 --> 00:17:54,125 We're not sure how the Culper Spy Ring 329 00:17:54,208 --> 00:17:55,333 got its name. 330 00:17:55,458 --> 00:17:57,250 But the one thing we do know 331 00:17:57,375 --> 00:18:02,792 is that Washington's main spy was a farmer 332 00:18:02,917 --> 00:18:04,375 named Abraham Woodhull. 333 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:07,458 And they gave him the code name Samuel Culper. 334 00:18:08,542 --> 00:18:11,375 OLLY: Abraham Woodhull enlisted a small group 335 00:18:11,542 --> 00:18:13,958 of perhaps a half a dozen men 336 00:18:14,042 --> 00:18:16,208 who conveyed military intelligence 337 00:18:16,333 --> 00:18:19,833 from Manhattan to Washington's headquarters. 338 00:18:19,917 --> 00:18:23,042 And then, because Abraham Woodhull 339 00:18:23,208 --> 00:18:25,083 could not constantly be going into New York 340 00:18:25,208 --> 00:18:28,042 to gather information, he enlisted the services 341 00:18:28,167 --> 00:18:31,500 of Robert Townsend, who was a merchant in Manhattan. 342 00:18:31,625 --> 00:18:35,000 As a merchant, he could be, really, anyplace. 343 00:18:35,125 --> 00:18:37,167 He could be down by the waterfront. 344 00:18:37,250 --> 00:18:39,167 He could be in coffee shops. 345 00:18:39,333 --> 00:18:42,208 He could be chatting in a tavern with people. 346 00:18:42,333 --> 00:18:44,500 So he was gathering information. 347 00:18:44,625 --> 00:18:48,792 So Robert Townsend took the name of Samuel Culper, Jr. 348 00:18:50,292 --> 00:18:52,000 SHATNER: To ensure that their messages 349 00:18:52,125 --> 00:18:55,125 were not read by the British, the Culper Spy Ring devised 350 00:18:55,208 --> 00:18:58,542 ingenious methods of sending coded messages. 351 00:19:00,208 --> 00:19:03,708 The Culper Spy Ring communicated with each other 352 00:19:03,833 --> 00:19:05,875 by mostly letters. 353 00:19:06,042 --> 00:19:09,125 They used numbers to represent words, 354 00:19:09,250 --> 00:19:12,333 about 700 different words. 355 00:19:12,458 --> 00:19:18,125 And these numbers were written in the messages, 356 00:19:18,250 --> 00:19:20,458 and then the spy code was 357 00:19:20,542 --> 00:19:25,083 given to the people who needed to translate the code 358 00:19:25,208 --> 00:19:29,167 at Washington's headquarters or wherever. 359 00:19:30,375 --> 00:19:32,500 SHATNER: Historians have been able to decode and decipher 360 00:19:32,583 --> 00:19:35,833 many Culper Spy Ring messages that still exist today. 361 00:19:36,958 --> 00:19:39,000 But there is one message 362 00:19:39,083 --> 00:19:42,167 that continues to baffle experts. 363 00:19:42,250 --> 00:19:45,250 It's a letter that refers to a mysterious spy 364 00:19:45,375 --> 00:19:49,542 who was known only as 355. 365 00:19:50,667 --> 00:19:55,000 There is a spy letter, dated August 15, 1779, 366 00:19:55,125 --> 00:19:57,958 written by Abraham Woodhull, 367 00:19:58,083 --> 00:20:00,500 in which he says that he's going to go into the city, 368 00:20:00,625 --> 00:20:03,167 into Manhattan, to gather information, 369 00:20:03,333 --> 00:20:07,000 with the help of a "355." 370 00:20:07,125 --> 00:20:09,667 So this number, 355, 371 00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:12,292 is a very tantalizing and mysterious detail 372 00:20:12,375 --> 00:20:16,000 that leads to speculation because 355 373 00:20:16,125 --> 00:20:21,500 is the numerical substitution in the spy code for "lady." 374 00:20:21,583 --> 00:20:25,667 It's so fascinating to think about a lady spy 375 00:20:25,792 --> 00:20:28,667 during the Revolutionary War that this has 376 00:20:28,750 --> 00:20:32,792 fired the imagination of hundreds of people 377 00:20:32,875 --> 00:20:36,208 that have written books about who this spy could be. 378 00:20:37,667 --> 00:20:40,833 SHATNER: Over the years, there has been intense speculation 379 00:20:40,958 --> 00:20:45,208 as to the identity of Agent 355 and what role 380 00:20:45,333 --> 00:20:48,583 she played in the Culper Spy Ring. 381 00:20:48,708 --> 00:20:51,667 Some experts believe there is evidence to suggest 382 00:20:51,750 --> 00:20:54,250 that the woman may have been an African-American slave 383 00:20:54,375 --> 00:20:57,292 who was known as Liss. 384 00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:02,083 BELLERJEAU: Liss was born into slavery in Robert Townsend's household, 385 00:21:02,208 --> 00:21:04,042 Townsend was the lead spy 386 00:21:04,167 --> 00:21:07,667 of the Culper Spy Ring, Culper Jr. 387 00:21:07,750 --> 00:21:10,458 Now, the British had promised escaped American slaves 388 00:21:10,542 --> 00:21:12,583 if they would come over to the British side, 389 00:21:12,708 --> 00:21:15,625 at the end of the war, they could become free. 390 00:21:15,708 --> 00:21:17,542 And one of the British commanders 391 00:21:17,708 --> 00:21:19,667 that was a leading abolitionist 392 00:21:19,750 --> 00:21:22,833 was a man named Colonel John Graves Simcoe. 393 00:21:23,875 --> 00:21:29,167 And in May of 1779, Simcoe was staying in the Townsend home. 394 00:21:29,250 --> 00:21:31,792 Liss got to know this commander, 395 00:21:31,917 --> 00:21:35,958 and when Simcoe left the house, she escaped with him. 396 00:21:37,167 --> 00:21:39,750 SHATNER: In recent years, some historians have theorized 397 00:21:39,875 --> 00:21:43,000 that Liss's escape with Colonel Simcoe 398 00:21:43,083 --> 00:21:44,917 was actually a ploy, 399 00:21:45,042 --> 00:21:49,583 and that the real reason Liss left Robert Townsend's house 400 00:21:49,708 --> 00:21:53,833 was so that she could spy on the British army. 401 00:21:56,583 --> 00:21:59,333 BELLERJEAU: Now, if Liss was inside British headquarters, 402 00:21:59,417 --> 00:22:02,250 serving as an enslaved person, 403 00:22:02,375 --> 00:22:05,417 she could pass through rooms and observe things, 404 00:22:05,542 --> 00:22:08,833 overhear things, and she wouldn't even be noticed. 405 00:22:10,083 --> 00:22:13,583 SHATNER: Was Liss actually a double agent who was 406 00:22:13,708 --> 00:22:16,208 secretly working with the Culper Spy Ring? 407 00:22:16,375 --> 00:22:18,500 It's an intriguing theory. 408 00:22:19,583 --> 00:22:23,917 And some experts propose that not only was Liss 355, 409 00:22:24,042 --> 00:22:27,625 but also it's possible she played an important role 410 00:22:27,708 --> 00:22:32,333 in exposing America's most notorious turncoat: 411 00:22:33,333 --> 00:22:34,875 Benedict Arnold. 412 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,667 There was a secret meeting of the British officers 413 00:22:39,833 --> 00:22:42,250 held at a house in East Hampton. 414 00:22:42,375 --> 00:22:45,042 Colonel Simcoe went out with his troops to this meeting, 415 00:22:45,167 --> 00:22:49,000 and the British talked about how they had just secured 416 00:22:49,083 --> 00:22:51,292 the deal with Benedict Arnold 417 00:22:51,375 --> 00:22:55,500 to give up the fort at West Point for money. 418 00:22:55,583 --> 00:22:58,333 Now, an account was written of this meeting 419 00:22:58,458 --> 00:23:01,125 that said that an enslaved woman in the house 420 00:23:01,250 --> 00:23:04,208 was passing through a room 421 00:23:04,375 --> 00:23:08,000 and overheard the men talking about how an American general 422 00:23:08,167 --> 00:23:11,417 was gonna give up an American fort to the British. 423 00:23:11,542 --> 00:23:14,667 This woman is described as a waitress 424 00:23:14,792 --> 00:23:18,667 or perhaps mistress to Colonel Simcoe. 425 00:23:18,792 --> 00:23:21,083 That's the woman who I think could be Liss. 426 00:23:22,375 --> 00:23:25,000 SHATNER: Curiously, less than one month after 427 00:23:25,167 --> 00:23:27,417 this secret meeting took place, 428 00:23:27,542 --> 00:23:32,000 Benedict Arnold was revealed to be a traitor to the Revolution. 429 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,208 There are those who believe that the timing of these events 430 00:23:36,333 --> 00:23:38,792 is no coincidence, 431 00:23:38,917 --> 00:23:42,625 and that Liss provided crucial information 432 00:23:42,750 --> 00:23:46,458 that made it possible to expose Arnold. 433 00:23:48,500 --> 00:23:52,167 But ultimately, the real identity 434 00:23:52,333 --> 00:23:56,833 of 355 remains unknown. 435 00:23:57,958 --> 00:24:01,875 OLLY: We know the other members of the Culper Spy Ring. 436 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:06,750 But who was this woman who was coded as 355? 437 00:24:06,875 --> 00:24:08,958 Today, we're used to women 438 00:24:09,042 --> 00:24:11,125 playing important roles as spies. 439 00:24:11,208 --> 00:24:14,542 But in the Revolutionary War, that would have been very rare, 440 00:24:14,667 --> 00:24:19,292 and so this has fascinated people since 1779. 441 00:24:20,417 --> 00:24:24,542 Will we ever find out who the mysterious Agent 355 was? 442 00:24:24,708 --> 00:24:27,875 Perhaps time will tell, but, fortunately, 443 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,417 not all of the Founding Fathers' secrets have been buried. 444 00:24:31,542 --> 00:24:34,667 In fact, some may be hidden in plain sight 445 00:24:34,792 --> 00:24:38,042 on the streets of Washington, D.C. 446 00:24:45,208 --> 00:24:47,042 SHATNER: Here, on the bank of the Potomac River, 447 00:24:47,167 --> 00:24:52,292 is a lighthouse that dates back to the 18th century. 448 00:24:52,417 --> 00:24:55,750 And hidden within the sea wall of the house 449 00:24:55,875 --> 00:24:58,833 is a rather curious monument. 450 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,167 It's a three-foot-tall stone block 451 00:25:02,292 --> 00:25:05,667 that was placed in this location to mark the southern boundary 452 00:25:05,833 --> 00:25:09,083 of the District of Columbia. 453 00:25:09,208 --> 00:25:13,167 The boundary stones surrounding the District, 454 00:25:13,292 --> 00:25:15,292 those are still out there. 455 00:25:15,375 --> 00:25:18,167 You can find those boundary stones 456 00:25:18,292 --> 00:25:20,000 all over the area. 457 00:25:20,167 --> 00:25:21,583 In the middle of streets, 458 00:25:21,708 --> 00:25:25,958 in people's backyards, in parking lots. 459 00:25:26,042 --> 00:25:29,958 They demarcate what is federal territory for the city, 460 00:25:30,042 --> 00:25:33,792 and what is Virginia and Maryland. 461 00:25:33,917 --> 00:25:37,208 Thomas Jefferson, actually, was the one who said, 462 00:25:37,375 --> 00:25:41,000 "Let's make the lines surrounding the city the shape 463 00:25:41,083 --> 00:25:44,667 of a diamond sitting on its point." 464 00:25:44,792 --> 00:25:47,500 So, that was his contribution. 465 00:25:47,667 --> 00:25:50,667 That's why we have the shape we do today. 466 00:25:50,833 --> 00:25:53,500 SHATNER: All told, there are 40 boundary stones 467 00:25:53,625 --> 00:25:55,792 surrounding Washington, D.C. 468 00:25:55,875 --> 00:26:00,833 In 1791, each stone was carefully placed 469 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,042 by a group of local Freemasons in an elaborate ritual, under 470 00:26:05,167 --> 00:26:07,875 the orders of then-President George Washington. 471 00:26:08,042 --> 00:26:12,167 They form an area that is precisely ten miles long 472 00:26:12,292 --> 00:26:15,458 by ten miles wide, defining the original borders 473 00:26:15,542 --> 00:26:17,583 of the District of Columbia. 474 00:26:17,708 --> 00:26:20,833 And there are those who believe 475 00:26:20,958 --> 00:26:24,167 that the careful geometry of America's capital 476 00:26:24,333 --> 00:26:28,958 held deep significance for the Founding Fathers. 477 00:26:29,083 --> 00:26:32,500 SELMAN: There are some people who would equate 478 00:26:32,583 --> 00:26:35,792 the relationship between those boundary stones 479 00:26:35,917 --> 00:26:39,083 that surround the city-- that diamond shape-- 480 00:26:39,208 --> 00:26:44,958 with the Masons having designed the square and compass, 481 00:26:45,042 --> 00:26:48,042 their symbol, into the pattern of the city. 482 00:26:49,250 --> 00:26:54,667 The geometry and the meaning behind numbers and symbols 483 00:26:54,792 --> 00:26:58,000 are part of what's known as "sacred geometry," 484 00:26:58,125 --> 00:27:01,500 and was standard practice for artists 485 00:27:01,583 --> 00:27:04,917 and architects at the time. 486 00:27:05,042 --> 00:27:07,042 So, it's a methodology and a technique. 487 00:27:07,208 --> 00:27:10,875 SHATNER: Is the diamond shape of the District of Columbia 488 00:27:11,042 --> 00:27:15,333 actually a Freemason symbol hiding in plain sight? 489 00:27:15,458 --> 00:27:17,375 And if so, what purpose does such 490 00:27:17,500 --> 00:27:19,750 an unusual configuration serve? 491 00:27:19,875 --> 00:27:22,667 Perhaps the answer can be found by examining how 492 00:27:22,792 --> 00:27:25,875 the Founding Fathers oversaw the construction 493 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,375 of the nation's capital city 494 00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:32,167 that lies within the District. 495 00:27:34,750 --> 00:27:37,667 In March 1791, President Washington 496 00:27:37,792 --> 00:27:39,792 appointed French architect 497 00:27:39,917 --> 00:27:43,750 Pierre Charles L'Enfant to design the city. 498 00:27:44,750 --> 00:27:48,333 HODAPP: Washington became deeply involved 499 00:27:48,417 --> 00:27:50,208 in approving L'Enfant's designs. 500 00:27:50,375 --> 00:27:53,583 He got the guy hired, and was very, very interested 501 00:27:53,708 --> 00:27:55,000 in the design of the city. 502 00:27:55,125 --> 00:27:58,625 European capital cities were chaotic, 503 00:27:58,708 --> 00:28:01,167 their streets changed names every ten feet, 504 00:28:01,333 --> 00:28:04,208 and they followed strange paths and creeks. 505 00:28:04,375 --> 00:28:08,083 Well, Washington said this new city won't be that. 506 00:28:08,208 --> 00:28:10,833 It will be a utopian city, a planned city. 507 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:15,792 And so it's not surprising that when L'Enfant was designing 508 00:28:15,875 --> 00:28:19,792 this very geometric, very balanced federal city, 509 00:28:19,875 --> 00:28:24,000 that there are many, many layers of Masonic symbolism. 510 00:28:25,125 --> 00:28:28,125 There are very few cities in the world that are 511 00:28:28,208 --> 00:28:30,875 intentionally designed as fully as Washington. 512 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,125 The interesting thing is that, quite often, 513 00:28:34,250 --> 00:28:38,042 the assumption is that there's a gridded street system, 514 00:28:38,167 --> 00:28:40,333 and then these avenues were laid on top 515 00:28:40,500 --> 00:28:44,167 to connect topography or significant points. 516 00:28:44,292 --> 00:28:47,875 That's just the opposite of what L'Enfant actually did. 517 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,750 He laid out the angled avenues first, 518 00:28:51,875 --> 00:28:54,792 and then the grid grew out of that. 519 00:28:54,917 --> 00:28:57,875 Washington and the founders 520 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,000 and Pierre L'Enfant wanted to 521 00:29:01,125 --> 00:29:04,042 physically embody the geometry 522 00:29:04,208 --> 00:29:07,167 in the pattern of the city itself. 523 00:29:07,250 --> 00:29:11,458 When you look at the city top down, you will see plenty 524 00:29:11,542 --> 00:29:15,542 of geometric shapes as a result of these interactions, 525 00:29:15,667 --> 00:29:19,583 so triangles, rectangles, 526 00:29:19,708 --> 00:29:21,958 circles, you name it. 527 00:29:22,083 --> 00:29:23,667 What's the idea behind it? 528 00:29:23,750 --> 00:29:28,542 Geometry is a synonym of masonry. 529 00:29:29,958 --> 00:29:34,625 The universal symbol of Freemasonry has the compasses, 530 00:29:34,708 --> 00:29:37,708 the square, and then you have the letter "G." 531 00:29:37,833 --> 00:29:40,708 And the letter "G" is the initial of geometry, 532 00:29:40,875 --> 00:29:44,833 because we in Freemasonry refer to the deity 533 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,958 as the Grand Architect of the universe, 534 00:29:49,083 --> 00:29:53,000 or the Grand Geometrician. 535 00:29:53,167 --> 00:29:57,208 In other words, through symbols, deep thoughts are conveyed. 536 00:29:57,333 --> 00:30:01,333 SHATNER: Did the Founding Fathers encode Freemason symbols into 537 00:30:01,458 --> 00:30:04,167 the streets and buildings of Washington, D.C.? 538 00:30:04,292 --> 00:30:07,417 And if so, what is the meaning of these messages 539 00:30:07,542 --> 00:30:10,583 that they left behind for future generations? 540 00:30:11,583 --> 00:30:14,417 There are those who believe that a clue can be found 541 00:30:14,542 --> 00:30:18,292 by closely examining the U.S. Capitol building. 542 00:30:19,542 --> 00:30:23,208 The city of Washington is divided into four quadrants. 543 00:30:24,125 --> 00:30:26,875 At the intersection of the four quadrants-- 544 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:31,875 it's called Point Zero-- is the United States Capitol. 545 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,667 The U.S. Capitol is elevated on a hill, 546 00:30:35,750 --> 00:30:40,125 and the idea here is that this is 547 00:30:40,208 --> 00:30:43,125 where the people and the states come together, 548 00:30:43,208 --> 00:30:45,917 not one person, like a king. 549 00:30:46,042 --> 00:30:50,000 And it was to remind all future members of Congress, 550 00:30:50,125 --> 00:30:51,875 your mission is not about power. 551 00:30:52,042 --> 00:30:55,000 Your mission is to serve the people by promoting 552 00:30:55,083 --> 00:30:58,292 their happiness, their peace and their prosperity. 553 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,292 Was Washington, D.C. designed to be a symbol 554 00:31:03,375 --> 00:31:06,167 of the Founding Fathers' beliefs? 555 00:31:06,292 --> 00:31:08,625 Perhaps, but there are rumors that they left behind 556 00:31:08,708 --> 00:31:12,000 an even more important message for future generations. 557 00:31:12,167 --> 00:31:16,000 One that was concealed in the original cornerstone 558 00:31:16,125 --> 00:31:18,083 of the White House. 559 00:31:27,042 --> 00:31:29,167 (man declaims) 560 00:31:29,292 --> 00:31:33,000 SHATNER: A group of Freemasons perform a sacred ceremony 561 00:31:33,083 --> 00:31:34,958 in which they lay the first stone 562 00:31:35,083 --> 00:31:38,333 used in the construction of the White House. 563 00:31:38,458 --> 00:31:41,375 The large stone is intended to be the foundation 564 00:31:41,542 --> 00:31:44,083 of the southeast corner of the building, 565 00:31:44,208 --> 00:31:47,708 and is referred to as the "cornerstone." 566 00:31:48,958 --> 00:31:51,875 When the White House cornerstone was dedicated, 567 00:31:52,042 --> 00:31:56,000 there was corn, wine, and oil poured on top of it. 568 00:31:56,167 --> 00:31:58,917 It's the corn of nourishment, 569 00:31:59,042 --> 00:32:01,500 the wine of refreshment 570 00:32:01,625 --> 00:32:04,375 and the oil of joy. 571 00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:08,042 And that really expresses the hopes of the Masons involved 572 00:32:08,208 --> 00:32:12,167 for the success of not only that building, 573 00:32:12,250 --> 00:32:14,208 but what it represents-- the system of government, 574 00:32:14,333 --> 00:32:16,708 and, by extension, the nation. 575 00:32:18,042 --> 00:32:20,708 SHATNER: It's believed that, as part of the ceremony, 576 00:32:20,833 --> 00:32:23,375 the Freemasons placed objects of great importance 577 00:32:23,500 --> 00:32:26,500 in a time capsule that was put inside 578 00:32:26,667 --> 00:32:30,667 a compartment located within the cornerstone. 579 00:32:30,792 --> 00:32:33,417 For centuries, historians have wondered 580 00:32:33,542 --> 00:32:35,958 what the Founding Fathers may have hidden 581 00:32:36,042 --> 00:32:38,167 in the White House cornerstone. 582 00:32:39,208 --> 00:32:41,667 GEIGER: We know that the Freemasons put time capsules 583 00:32:41,792 --> 00:32:43,000 in other buildings and monuments. 584 00:32:43,083 --> 00:32:44,958 And since this was the cornerstone 585 00:32:45,083 --> 00:32:47,792 of the president's house, they might have put 586 00:32:47,875 --> 00:32:49,417 something very important in there. 587 00:32:50,292 --> 00:32:52,583 One of the things that has been speculated 588 00:32:52,708 --> 00:32:55,625 is that they would have had some alternate versions of founding 589 00:32:55,750 --> 00:32:59,125 documents of America, like a version of the Constitution 590 00:32:59,208 --> 00:33:01,833 that also included in it the Masons' vision of 591 00:33:01,958 --> 00:33:03,750 how the nation was supposed to proceed. 592 00:33:04,792 --> 00:33:08,000 SHATNER: An alternate version of the Constitution 593 00:33:08,083 --> 00:33:11,167 placed in the cornerstone of the White House? 594 00:33:11,333 --> 00:33:13,125 But what reason is there to think 595 00:33:13,208 --> 00:33:15,750 that this document existed? 596 00:33:15,875 --> 00:33:18,958 Something that often gets lost in the shuffle in the whole 597 00:33:19,083 --> 00:33:22,125 history of the Revolution is that the Constitution 598 00:33:22,250 --> 00:33:27,542 and the Republic it created wasn't the first iteration. 599 00:33:28,500 --> 00:33:31,625 So, what actually came out of the Revolution were 600 00:33:31,750 --> 00:33:34,042 the Articles of Confederation, 601 00:33:34,208 --> 00:33:37,292 which from 1781 to 1789 602 00:33:37,375 --> 00:33:40,500 are actually what governed the new country. 603 00:33:40,583 --> 00:33:43,292 But the Articles of Confederation didn't work, 604 00:33:43,375 --> 00:33:44,833 and so they came up with the Constitution. 605 00:33:44,917 --> 00:33:46,667 But it's Plan B. 606 00:33:46,750 --> 00:33:49,500 The other thing you often have to take into account is 607 00:33:49,625 --> 00:33:53,625 there were contentious factions among the Founding Fathers. 608 00:33:53,708 --> 00:33:55,542 They did not all get along. 609 00:33:55,708 --> 00:33:57,958 There were bitter arguments between them. 610 00:33:58,042 --> 00:34:01,833 And so was there an alternative Constitution? 611 00:34:01,917 --> 00:34:04,333 That's certainly quite possible. 612 00:34:04,458 --> 00:34:06,333 GEIGER: Legally, a different version 613 00:34:06,458 --> 00:34:08,917 of the Constitution wouldn't mean anything. 614 00:34:09,042 --> 00:34:10,833 The Constitution we have is the one that was 615 00:34:10,917 --> 00:34:12,375 ratified by the states. 616 00:34:12,500 --> 00:34:15,542 Historically, it could be utterly fascinating. 617 00:34:15,667 --> 00:34:18,833 It could be earth-shattering in terms of our understanding 618 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,000 about what intent was for the nation. 619 00:34:21,083 --> 00:34:23,083 The thing is we don't know. 620 00:34:23,208 --> 00:34:25,167 So, you can see why people want to find a cornerstone; 621 00:34:25,292 --> 00:34:27,083 it's because they want to know what's in there, 622 00:34:27,208 --> 00:34:29,167 and what that would mean. 623 00:34:30,417 --> 00:34:32,792 SHATNER: But if there might be an alternate version of 624 00:34:32,875 --> 00:34:36,333 the Constitution hidden in the White House cornerstone, 625 00:34:36,458 --> 00:34:38,792 then it naturally begs the question: 626 00:34:38,875 --> 00:34:42,708 why hasn't anyone checked to see if it's really there? 627 00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:47,500 Well, as it turns out, people have tried to do just that. 628 00:34:47,583 --> 00:34:50,208 But curiously, the cornerstone 629 00:34:50,333 --> 00:34:53,625 of the White House has never been found. 630 00:34:54,708 --> 00:34:57,333 GEIGER: The cornerstone was supposed to be in the southeast corner 631 00:34:57,417 --> 00:34:59,750 of the White House, and the ceremony was reported on, 632 00:34:59,875 --> 00:35:03,500 and then that cornerstone has never been seen since. 633 00:35:04,417 --> 00:35:07,333 It seems to have just kind of disappeared from history. 634 00:35:07,417 --> 00:35:09,542 So, it leaves you the question: where is it? 635 00:35:10,875 --> 00:35:13,333 SHATNER: For more than 200 years, historians have speculated 636 00:35:13,458 --> 00:35:16,792 as to where the cornerstone of the White House is located. 637 00:35:16,917 --> 00:35:19,708 In fact, when the White House was completely gutted 638 00:35:19,833 --> 00:35:21,958 for renovation work during the 1940s, 639 00:35:22,083 --> 00:35:25,208 President Harry Truman took the opportunity 640 00:35:25,333 --> 00:35:29,667 to order a thorough search for the elusive cornerstone. 641 00:35:30,625 --> 00:35:33,500 DE HOYOS: When Truman had the White House rebuilt, 642 00:35:33,625 --> 00:35:38,167 or refurbished in the 1950s, they found a lot of stones with 643 00:35:38,292 --> 00:35:41,958 Masonic emblems on them, and being an active Freemason-- 644 00:35:42,042 --> 00:35:44,750 in fact, he was the grand master of Masons in Missouri-- 645 00:35:44,875 --> 00:35:48,500 he had one of these stones sent to each of the grand lodges. 646 00:35:48,625 --> 00:35:52,042 We have one at the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. 647 00:35:52,167 --> 00:35:54,917 It's a stone that has a Masonic mark on it, 648 00:35:55,042 --> 00:35:57,833 but for the cornerstone, who knows? 649 00:35:58,875 --> 00:36:01,333 GEIGER: Truman very much searched for that cornerstone, 650 00:36:01,458 --> 00:36:03,875 and they've never found it. 651 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,167 If the cornerstone is still there, 652 00:36:06,250 --> 00:36:07,958 it has never been discovered. 653 00:36:08,042 --> 00:36:11,875 But maybe it's hidden somewhere and could still be found. 654 00:36:13,417 --> 00:36:16,167 If we ever find the lost cornerstone 655 00:36:16,292 --> 00:36:18,250 of the White House, could it reveal 656 00:36:18,375 --> 00:36:21,708 even more secrets about the Founding Fathers? 657 00:36:21,875 --> 00:36:25,667 It's an exciting possibility, especially given the evidence 658 00:36:25,750 --> 00:36:29,083 that it may have been deliberately concealed. 659 00:36:29,208 --> 00:36:31,375 Just like the supposed secrets surrounding 660 00:36:31,500 --> 00:36:34,083 the untimely death of one the most celebrated 661 00:36:34,208 --> 00:36:35,917 leaders of the American Revolution... 662 00:36:36,042 --> 00:36:38,417 Alexander Hamilton. 663 00:36:45,542 --> 00:36:49,125 The musical Hamilton premieres on Broadway at 664 00:36:49,208 --> 00:36:50,833 the Richard Rogers theatre 665 00:36:50,958 --> 00:36:54,208 and receives rave reviews. 666 00:36:54,375 --> 00:36:57,958 The smash hit explores the life of Alexander Hamilton, 667 00:36:58,042 --> 00:37:02,583 who was one of America's most important Founding Fathers. 668 00:37:02,708 --> 00:37:06,792 Alexander Hamilton was that fiery Founding Father 669 00:37:06,917 --> 00:37:10,417 who came here as an immigrant of very humble origins 670 00:37:10,542 --> 00:37:12,500 and wound up one of the most powerful people in the country. 671 00:37:13,542 --> 00:37:16,667 Arguably, no single person had a greater impact on how 672 00:37:16,750 --> 00:37:20,458 the American republic functions than Alexander Hamilton. 673 00:37:21,708 --> 00:37:23,833 SHATNER: After fighting in the Revolutionary War, 674 00:37:23,917 --> 00:37:26,125 Alexander Hamilton became the United States' 675 00:37:26,208 --> 00:37:27,833 first Secretary of Treasury, 676 00:37:27,917 --> 00:37:31,000 and designed the nation's financial system. 677 00:37:31,083 --> 00:37:33,458 But Hamilton is also famous 678 00:37:33,542 --> 00:37:37,167 for the unusual circumstances of his death, 679 00:37:37,292 --> 00:37:40,958 which came at the hands of his bitter rival, 680 00:37:41,042 --> 00:37:44,083 Vice President Aaron Burr. 681 00:37:44,208 --> 00:37:48,000 There's an account in an upstate New York newspaper 682 00:37:48,125 --> 00:37:49,750 of a dinner party 683 00:37:49,875 --> 00:37:53,667 at which Hamilton called Aaron Burr despicable. 684 00:37:53,833 --> 00:37:57,000 It comes to Aaron Burr's attention, 685 00:37:57,125 --> 00:38:00,792 he writes a letter to Hamilton 686 00:38:00,875 --> 00:38:02,500 demanding an explanation. 687 00:38:02,667 --> 00:38:05,250 There is an exchange of letters. 688 00:38:05,375 --> 00:38:09,042 Hamilton does not satisfy Burr. 689 00:38:09,167 --> 00:38:14,458 And so a duel takes place to resolve this question of honor. 690 00:38:15,625 --> 00:38:18,375 SHATNER: On July 11, 1804, 691 00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:20,792 Hamilton and Burr met 692 00:38:20,917 --> 00:38:23,958 in the early morning hours in a secluded field 693 00:38:24,042 --> 00:38:25,625 in Weehawken, New Jersey. 694 00:38:25,708 --> 00:38:29,375 As was the custom at the time, Hamilton provided 695 00:38:29,542 --> 00:38:31,750 both pistols for the duel. 696 00:38:33,042 --> 00:38:35,167 GEIGER: Usually, one person brings both pistols. 697 00:38:35,292 --> 00:38:37,583 They're supposed to be identical. 698 00:38:37,708 --> 00:38:40,417 Now, most duels did not end in deaths. 699 00:38:40,542 --> 00:38:42,333 Most of the time, they would both shoot, 700 00:38:42,417 --> 00:38:43,500 they would both miss, and they would decide 701 00:38:43,625 --> 00:38:45,125 that their honor had been satisfied 702 00:38:45,208 --> 00:38:47,708 and they would walk home. 703 00:38:47,833 --> 00:38:50,250 When there was a call to fire, 704 00:38:50,375 --> 00:38:53,125 Hamilton fired high. 705 00:38:53,208 --> 00:38:55,708 But Aaron Burr was aiming to kill. 706 00:38:55,833 --> 00:38:59,000 Alexander Hamilton was shot a mortal wound. 707 00:38:59,083 --> 00:39:01,375 He died 31 hours later. 708 00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:03,167 SHATNER: The death of Alexander Hamilton marked 709 00:39:03,292 --> 00:39:05,375 the tragic passing of an American hero. 710 00:39:05,500 --> 00:39:08,500 For centuries, Hamilton was portrayed as 711 00:39:08,583 --> 00:39:10,750 a gracious gentleman who aimed high 712 00:39:10,875 --> 00:39:15,833 but was ruthlessly gunned down by the villainous Aaron Burr. 713 00:39:15,917 --> 00:39:19,583 But then, 172 years after Hamilton's death, 714 00:39:19,708 --> 00:39:21,667 new evidence came to light 715 00:39:21,792 --> 00:39:26,000 that called these assumptions into question. 716 00:39:27,167 --> 00:39:29,458 The pistols that were used in the Hamilton-Burr duel 717 00:39:29,542 --> 00:39:31,792 were acquired by Chase Bank, 718 00:39:31,917 --> 00:39:35,750 and they would put the pistols out on display now and again. 719 00:39:35,875 --> 00:39:39,708 In 1976, they allowed the Smithsonian Institution 720 00:39:39,833 --> 00:39:44,083 to inspect the pistols, and they found something shocking. 721 00:39:46,208 --> 00:39:49,125 One of the pistols had a special mechanism that was 722 00:39:49,208 --> 00:39:51,167 built-in to cheat in duels. 723 00:39:52,042 --> 00:39:54,542 If you pushed the trigger all the way forward, 724 00:39:54,667 --> 00:39:56,042 it would create a hair-trigger pistol 725 00:39:56,208 --> 00:40:00,292 that might allow you to shoot a hair, moment, ahead 726 00:40:00,417 --> 00:40:02,500 of your opponent. 727 00:40:02,583 --> 00:40:06,750 Now, what we know is that Hamilton fired high. 728 00:40:06,875 --> 00:40:09,958 Well, if you're shooting with a hair trigger, 729 00:40:10,042 --> 00:40:13,083 as you go to aim, that could cause you to fire high. 730 00:40:13,917 --> 00:40:16,167 So, the fact that he shot high 731 00:40:16,292 --> 00:40:20,333 might suggest that he intended to use the hair trigger 732 00:40:20,500 --> 00:40:22,333 on the pistol to shoot ahead of Burr, 733 00:40:22,417 --> 00:40:24,417 and that caused him to shoot high 734 00:40:24,542 --> 00:40:26,167 and resulted in his own death. 735 00:40:26,292 --> 00:40:28,917 SHATNER: Did Alexander Hamilton try 736 00:40:29,042 --> 00:40:30,917 to rig his duel with Aaron Burr 737 00:40:31,042 --> 00:40:34,083 and, ironically, brought about his own demise? 738 00:40:34,208 --> 00:40:36,958 It's hard to say for certain, but the story shows 739 00:40:37,042 --> 00:40:39,458 that our perception of the Founding Fathers 740 00:40:39,542 --> 00:40:41,500 changes over time, 741 00:40:41,667 --> 00:40:45,458 and will continue to evolve in the future. 742 00:40:45,583 --> 00:40:49,583 The American experiment is still in its early days. 743 00:40:49,708 --> 00:40:52,875 If you compare us to England, 744 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:57,458 or France, or China, 745 00:40:57,542 --> 00:41:02,500 or Egypt, we're still a pretty brand-new country. 746 00:41:02,625 --> 00:41:05,458 And so our ways of looking 747 00:41:05,542 --> 00:41:08,208 at the Founding Fathers are never static. 748 00:41:09,208 --> 00:41:12,167 Some of their reputations go up, 749 00:41:12,292 --> 00:41:14,083 others get a little scuffed. 750 00:41:14,208 --> 00:41:18,667 But we should also remember they put their lives on the line 751 00:41:18,792 --> 00:41:23,167 and created a new nation that would be organized 752 00:41:23,292 --> 00:41:26,875 on new, improved principles, 753 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:30,667 and became a beacon to the world. 754 00:41:31,750 --> 00:41:34,917 It's difficult to look back at the Founding Fathers 755 00:41:35,042 --> 00:41:38,583 and not feel a sense of awe at their monumental achievements. 756 00:41:39,458 --> 00:41:42,333 But no matter how much we know, 757 00:41:42,417 --> 00:41:44,083 or think we know, about these men, 758 00:41:44,208 --> 00:41:47,792 their towering legacy is so larger-than-life 759 00:41:47,875 --> 00:41:51,667 that it's very hard to know the truth 760 00:41:51,750 --> 00:41:53,333 about who they really were. 761 00:41:53,417 --> 00:41:57,333 Which is why the secrets of the Founding Fathers will, 762 00:41:57,417 --> 00:41:59,333 in all likelihood, remain... 763 00:41:59,500 --> 00:42:01,500 unexplained. 764 00:42:01,625 --> 00:42:04,083 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A+E NETWORKS