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Templar Future
There is little question that the Templar organization survived the 1307 persecution. The remnant organization sailed to Portugal where King Denis allowed the order to become the Knights of Christ. Prince Henry Navigator's school at Sagres preserved a Templar tradition of collecting and growing the lost and secret knowledge of the world. Columbus married into the order and later sailed to America with a Templar cross on his sails.
The Templars who sailed to Scotland were regrouped as well and fought for Scottish independence. They again organized as Freemasons under the hereditary protection of the Sinclair family. From Scotland, England and Portugal Templars played key roles in the discovery and exploration of the New Atlantis-the Americas. Many took their oath seriously, that they would become "a brother to pirates and corsairs." Under the Skull and Crossbones, they crossed the ocean and terrorized shipping for centuries. Smuggling too became a preferred way to earn a living.
Smuggling played an important role in winning the American War for Independence. Island outposts such as St. Eustatius, the Golden Rock provided arms and supplies for the American side. Bermuda saw as much as two-thirds of its shipping done through hidden 
harbors and coves, away from the regulations and tariffs. The Masonic inheritors of Templar tradition did little to conceal their tracks.
A recent trip to Bermuda provided the author with a firsthand view of the Custom House in St. George and a display of Masonic regalia that leaves little doubt of the historical influence of the Masons.