The History of the Gavel

Imagine you are in a courtroom in the United States. What item would you most likely associate with the gavel?

• The judge's tool for maintaining order

• A symbol used in Freemasonry

• An item used in organizational meetings

• A tool used by auctioneers

During a court proceeding, the judge uses a gavel. What is the most plausible explanation for this tradition?

• It's a practice inherited from medieval guilds of stonemasons

• It's a part of American colonial traditions

• It's a symbol of the revolutionary generation

• It's derived from Masonic rituals

Imagine you are a historian studying fraternal organizations. In which country did the lodges of the Masons first develop?

• England

• America

• Colonies

• Revolutionary generation

In a Masonic Lodge meeting, who is given the symbol of authority and acts as the presiding officer?

• Master Mason

• Judge in a courtroom

• Member of the Revolutionary generation

• Regular Stonemason at a construction site

During a high-stakes art auction, what is the auctioneer's gavel used for?

• To bring the auction to order

• To control and finish a work of art

• To conclude successful sales of artwork

• To chip off pieces of a stone sculpture