As its name suggests, the main objective of the Anti-Masonic Party was to oppose and defeat the Freemasons (or Masons). The Freemasons were a prominent fraternity that promoted virtue, education, and civic involvement. Men had to participate in certain rituals and make a pledge to the Freemasons in order to join. Though the Freemasons were not a political party, per se, their members still held several political positions throughout the country. The Freemasons did a lot of good work in society, but in the 1820s many people were growing suspicious of the group's power and secrecy.

The Anti-Masonic Party was formed around this suspicion of Freemasons. The Anti-Masonic Party questioned whether the Freemasons were loyal to God and country, or whether they were only loyal to the fraternity. The Anti-Masonic Party believed that the Freemasons would even subvert the law, manipulate the press, and grant social and political favors to its members. So, the Anti-Masonic Party launched a moral-political campaign to expose and defeat the Freemasons.

Instead of the perceived secrecy and corruption of the Freemasons, the Anti-Masonic Party championed openness and the freedom of the press. Instead of the perceived elitism and favoritism of the Freemasons, the Anti-Masonic Party was a populist, egalitarian movement. Though opposition to the Freemasons was their primary objective, the Anti-Masonic Party later opposed slavery, intemperance, and other social evils, and advocated a return to faith and representative government.