An american figure of heroic proportions albert pike experienced all the opportunities and travails of the nineteenth century schoolteacher newspaperman successful lawyer and talented whig leader this important confederate general transformed and popularized the masonic movement. A life of albert pike originally published in 1997 is as much a study of antebellum arkansas as it is a portrait of the former general a native of massachusetts pike settled in arkansas. Albert pike was a prolific american writer a known journalist an excellent solider one of the lawyers who helped in the setting up the early courts of arkansas and a central figure who aided the founding of freemasonry in the us he was born on december 29 1809 in boston massachusetts. Born on december 29 1809 in boston massachusetts usa albert pike was the son of benjamin and sarah andrews pike he grew up in byfield and newburyport massachusetts pike was educated in schools in newburyport and framingham until the age of 15