[1] Amaranth was based on the Order of Amarante created by Queen Christina of Sweden on 6 January 1653 for ladies and knights.
In 1860, James B. Taylor of Newark, New Jersey drew upon Queen Christina's order to create a new fraternal society.
In 1873, Robert Macoy organized Taylor's society into the Order of the Amaranth, part of a proposed Adoptive Rite of Masonry.
They are urged to portray, by precept and example, their belief in the "Golden Rule" and by conforming to the virtues inherent in TRUTH, FAITH, WISDOM and CHARITY they can prove to others the goodness promulgated by the Order.
In 1760, a still extant Grand Order of the Amaranth [sv] was founded in Sweden, unrelated to freemasonry, with seven degrees.