Phelps has been referred to by Dean Jessee as "one of [the] founders" of the anti-Masonic movement in New York.

However, there is no homogeneous anti-Masonic movement.

Because fraternities were secret societies at the time, they also became targets of the anti-Masonic movement.

That year, Weed again supported John Quincy Adams and worked to align the strong anti-Masonic movement in New York with the national Adams organization.

This "Morgan affair" stokes the fires of an anti-Masonic movement, and soon leads to the formation of the Anti-Masonic Party, especially active in Western New York.

He became very active in various anti-Masonic movements and as a result was elected to the United States Congress in 1832.

The anti-Masonic movements collapsed in the next few years, but most of its supporters turned to the anti-slavery Liberty Party, which eventually merged with the Free Soil Party.

The growth of the anti-Masonic movement was due more to the political and social conditions of the time than to the Morgan episode, which was merely the catalyst.

The new entity was named Ligue française anti-maçonnique (French anti-Masonic League), and it also lived up to its name by invigorating the anti-Masonic movement.

A national anti-Masonic movement took root, complete with its own newspapers and political party.