Despite its essentially French origin, it is in the United States, and more precisely in Charleston (South Carolina) that the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite was born with the creation of the 33 degree Rite and the first Supreme Council in the world in 1801.

The French merchant Etienne Morin settled in Kingston (Jamaica) for business purposes and brought with him a 25 degree system which he called the "Order of the Royal Secret" and which he spread widely with the active support of a Dutch Mason, Henry Francken. The latter, who contributed to this diffusion, left notebooks presenting the rituals of these twenty-five degrees under the name of Rite of Perfection.

It was also probably Morin who, inspired by the statutes of the Grand Lodge, established the Constitutions known as "of Bordeaux".

How did the twenty-five degree Rite become the thirty-three degree Rite? The most likely hypothesis is that it was Alexandre de Grasse-Tilly who added the eight additional degrees taken from other Scottish Rites (such as the Scottish Philosophical Rite). In any case, he was present on 31 May 1801 at the creation of the Supreme Council and soon became a member, as he would be the Grand Commander of a Supreme Council of the French West Indies (i.e. all the French territories and colonies in America) during his stay in the United States.

1761: On 27 August, the Grand Lodge of France and its Council of High Grades (side degrees) issued a patent to Etienne Morin instituting him as Grand Inspector and authorising him to establish perfect and sublime Masonry in all parts of the world. Captured by the English during his journey, he is confirmed in his privileges by them.

1763 : Arrived in Kingston (Jamaica), Morin creates a Consistory of the Princes of the Royal Secret, appoints Henry Franken Deputy Grand Inspector with power to create Lodges.

1764: Morin issues degrees of his Rite in New Orleans (Louisiana).

1768: Franken, installed in Albany and New York, confers degrees of the Rite and appoints the Dutchman Moses Michael Hayes, Deputy Inspector General of the Rite for the West Indies and North America with power to confer degrees of the Order of the Royal Secret.

1795: Barend Moses Spitzer, who had been appointed Deputy Inspector General by Hayes in 1781, in turn appointed Colonel John Michell, based in Charleston, Deputy Inspector General of the Order of the Royal Secret.

1801: On 31 May, Colonel John Mitchell and Frederick Dalcho, appointed by him as Deputy Inspector General on 24 May, officially founded the Supreme Council in Charleston (South Carolina); among the attendees were Alexandre de Grasse-Tilly and his father-in-law Jean-Baptiste Delahogue, who were to become members of the Supreme Council in the following months

1802: In December, the Supreme Council adopted a Circular to the two Hemispheres announcing its foundation to the Masonic Authorities of the world.