The Society was founded in London, Ontario, Canada, in 1878, entered the United States on September 1, 1883, and established its home office in Port Huron, Michigan. On September 11, 1885, the Society was incorporated as the "Supreme Tent of the Knights of the Maccabees of the World", under an act of the legislature of the State of Michigan entitled "An act to provide for the incorporation of Co-operative and Mutual Benefit Associations", approved April 13, 1869, and acts amendatory thereto. On August 31, 1894, the Society was reincorporated as a Fraternal Beneficiary Association under provisions of Act No. 119 of Michigan Public Acts of 1893. The articles of association were amended on July 26, 1904, and the name of the Association changed to "The Knights of the Maccabees of the World". In 1908 the home office was moved from Port Huron to Detroit, Michigan. By a further amendment to the articles of association in 1914, the name was changed to "The Maccabees". The articles of association were further amended on August 30, 1950, and the name of the Association changed to "Maccabees Life Insurance Society"; however, as one State Insurance Department disallowed the use of the name containing the words "life" or "insurance" as prohibited by statute, the articles of association were further amended on December 4, 1950 and the name of the Society was changed back to "The Maccabees".
The Society has absorbed, by merger and amalgamation or by wholesale rewriting, the members of the following fraternal benefit societies: Knights of the Modern Maccabees (1914); Ladies of the Maccabees (1926); Supreme Circle Brotherhood of America (1935); The Slovac Progressive Beneficial Union (1937); The Fraternal Home Insurance Society (1937); The Artisans Life Association (1938); Federal Beneficial Association (1939); The Michigan Union Life Association (1941); The Great Camp for Michigan, the Maccabees (Health and Accident Department) (1946). At the quadrennial Supreme Review held in September 1954, the Supreme Tent resolved that the Society and the New York Mutual Benefit Society be merged. As of the date of this examination, the merger had not been comsummated.
From the description of Correspondence and other documents, insurance company examinations, 1955-1963. (State Archive of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 652432151
