Captain William Morgan, a former member of the Freemasons, found himself facing legal troubles in Batavia, New York, when he was arrested for debt. This arrest was particularly notable due to Morgan's recent declaration of his plans to publish a book titled 'The Mysteries of Free Masonry.' This book was intended to reveal the inner workings and secrets of Freemasonry, an organization that had significant influence and power in the early 19th-century United States. Morgan’s decision to expose the Masonic fraternity was seen as a considerable threat by many within that community.

His arrest raised eyebrows and heightened tensions in a period when anti-Masonic sentiment was brewing in America. Many supporters of Morgan believed his arrest was a direct response to his plans to publish his book, viewing it as a concerted effort by Freemasons to intimidate him into silence. As these events unfolded, Morgan vanished under mysterious circumstances shortly after his arrest, spawning a conspiracy of theories and leading to a national outcry. This situation ignited widespread fears regarding the influence of secret societies and spurred the growth of the anti-Masonic movement across the United States.

The aftermath of Morgan's disappearance led to the establishment of various anti-Masonic political parties, significantly altering the political landscape of certain regions. The events surrounding his arrest and subsequent disappearance highlighted the tension between secrecy, individual rights, and the power of entrenched organizations, bringing the Freemasons under intense scrutiny as the public debated the implications of such influential secret societies.