Prince Hall Freemasonry is a branch of North American Freemasonry created for African Americans, founded by Prince Hall on September 29, 1784. Prince Hall Freemasonry is the oldest and largest (300,000+ initiated members) predominantly African-American fraternity in the United States.

Different organizations purport to be of Prince Hall Freemasonry: one group is the independent, 'Prince Hall Affiliated' or 'PHA' Grand Lodges, most of which are recognized by their state Grand Lodge counterparts and the United Grand Lodge of England, being considered 'regular' in Freemasonry. Others are under the jurisdiction of a 'National Grand Lodge', 'Prince Hall Origin', or otherwise non-Prince Hall Affiliated Lodge or Grand Lodge. These are considered 'irregular', 'clandestine', and unrecognized by the Prince Hall Affiliated masonic bodies and their 'mainstream' masonic counterparts.

Before the American Revolutionary War, Prince Hall and fourteen other free black men petitioned for admission to the white Boston St. John's Lodge. They were declined. The Masonic fraternity was attractive to some free blacks such as Prince Hall because freemasonry was founded upon ideals of liberty, equality, and peace.

Having been rejected by colonial American Freemasonry, Hall and 14 other men sought and were initiated into Masonry through Lodge No. 441 of the Grand Lodge of Ireland on March 6, 1775. This military lodge was attached to the 38th Foot (renamed "The 1st Staffordshire Regiment") in 1782. The Lodge was attached to British forces stationed in Boston during the colonial period.

Hall and other free black men founded African Lodge No. 1 and he was elected Master. Other African Americans included Cyrus Johnston, Bueston Slinger, Prince Rees, John Canton, Peter Freeman, Benjamin Tiler, Duff Ruform, Thomas Santerson, Prince Rayden, Cato Speain, Boston Smith, Peter Best, Forten Horward, and Richard Titley, all of whom were free by birth.

After the United States gained independence, when men wished to become Masons in the new nation the existing members of the Lodge had to vote unanimously to accept the petitioner. That person would be rejected if any white member voted against a black petitioner. Discrimination against African Americans persisted for decades.

Masonic and Grand Lodges generally excluded African Americans. Since the votes were anonymous, it was impossible to identify the member who had voted against accepting a black member. The effect was that black men who had legitimately been made Masons in integrated jurisdictions could be rejected in a new area.

The black Masons therefore had limited power. When the military lodges left the area following the Revolutionary War, the African Americans were given the authority to meet as a lodge and take part in the Masonic procession on St. John's Day, and bury their dead with Masonic rites, but they could not confer Masonic degrees or perform any other essential functions of a fully operating Lodge.