Tamanend or
Tammany or
Tammamend, the "
affable", (c. 1628–1698) was a chief of one of the clans that made up the
Lenni-LenapeThe "Lenape", pronounced IPA: , , or in English, means "the people." Sometimes the name is spelled Lenape or Lenapi. Also known as the Lenni Lenape, the "true people", or as the "Delaware Indians", they are organized bands of Native American peoples with shared cultural and linguistic...
nation in the
Delaware ValleyThe Delaware Valley is a term used widely by the media to refer, perhaps misleadingly, to the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia in the United States. The term is derived from the Delaware River, which flows through the area, although the river extends more than 100 miles to the...
at the time Philadelphia was established. Tamanend is best known as a lover of peace and friendship who played a prominent role in the establishment of peaceful relations among the
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
tribes and the English settlers who established
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, led by
William PennWilliam Penn was an English founder and "Absolute Proprietor" of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future U.S. State of Pennsylvania. He was known as an early champion of democracy and religious freedom and famous for his good relations and his treaties with...
.
Tamanend reputedly took part in a meeting between the leaders of the Lenni-Lenape nation, and the leaders of the Pennsylvania colony held under a large elm tree at
ShakamaxonShackamaxon or Shakamaxon was a village inhabited by Delaware Indians, located in what are now the borders of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1682, William Penn reportedly signed a treaty with the leaders of the Delaware village – although this treaty cannot be conclusively...
in the early 1680s.
Tamanend or
Tammany or
Tammamend, the "
affable", (c. 1628–1698) was a chief of one of the clans that made up the
Lenni-LenapeThe "Lenape", pronounced IPA: , , or in English, means "the people." Sometimes the name is spelled Lenape or Lenapi. Also known as the Lenni Lenape, the "true people", or as the "Delaware Indians", they are organized bands of Native American peoples with shared cultural and linguistic...
nation in the
Delaware ValleyThe Delaware Valley is a term used widely by the media to refer, perhaps misleadingly, to the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia in the United States. The term is derived from the Delaware River, which flows through the area, although the river extends more than 100 miles to the...
at the time Philadelphia was established. Tamanend is best known as a lover of peace and friendship who played a prominent role in the establishment of peaceful relations among the
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
tribes and the English settlers who established
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, led by
William PennWilliam Penn was an English founder and "Absolute Proprietor" of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future U.S. State of Pennsylvania. He was known as an early champion of democracy and religious freedom and famous for his good relations and his treaties with...
.
Tamanend reputedly took part in a meeting between the leaders of the Lenni-Lenape nation, and the leaders of the Pennsylvania colony held under a large elm tree at
ShakamaxonShackamaxon or Shakamaxon was a village inhabited by Delaware Indians, located in what are now the borders of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1682, William Penn reportedly signed a treaty with the leaders of the Delaware village – although this treaty cannot be conclusively...
in the early 1680s. There, Tamanend is reported to have announced that the Lenni-Lenape and the English colonists would "live in peace as long as the waters run in the rivers and creeks and as long as the stars and moon endure." These words have been memorialized on the statue of Tamanend that stands in Philadelphia today.
It is believed that Tamanend died in 1698. Over the next century, many folk legends surrounded Tamanend and his fame assumed mythical proportions among the people of Philadelphia, who began to call him "King Tammany," "Saint Tammany," and the "Patron Saint of America." The people of Philadelphia also organized a Tammany society and an annual Tammany festival. These traditions soon spread across America. The reason for Tammany's popular status can be attributed to the need that patriotic colonists had to express a distinct "American" identity, in place of their former European nationalities. Tammany, an American Indian, provided an apt symbol for patriotic Americans to identify with.
Because of Philadelphia's political significance during the founding of the United States of America, Tammany soon became a national symbol throughout much of the newly-formed country.
Tammany Societies
In 1772, the original Tammany Society was formed in Philadelphia (it was originally called the "Sons of King Tammany" but was later renamed the "Sons of St. Tammany"). Soon, Tammany societies began to appear from Georgia to Rhode Island to the Ohio River. The most famous of these was New York City's Society of St. Tammany, which grew into a major
political machineA political machine is a disciplined political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters , who receive rewards for their efforts...
known as "
Tammany HallTammany Hall , was the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City politics and helping immigrants rise up in American politics from the 1790s to the 1960s...
." A white marble statue of Tamanend adorned the
façadeA facade or façade is generally one side of the exterior of a building, especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the building on East 14th Street that housed Tammany Hall.
Tammany Festivals
By the early 1770s, annual Tammany Festivals occurred in Philadelphia and Annapolis. The festivals were held on May 1, replacing the
May DayMay Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by the unions and socialist groups....
traditions of Europe. The festivals also continued many of the features of the traditional May Day celebrations. For example, the Saint Tammany Day celebrated on May 1, 1771, in Annapolis had a may pole decorated with ribbons. People danced in Native American style to music while holding a ribbon and moving in a circle around the pole.
On May 1, 1777,
John AdamsJohn Adams was an American politician and the second President of the United States , after being the first Vice President for two terms. He is regarded as one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States.Adams came to prominence in the early stages of the American Revolution...
wrote of the Tammany festival in Philadelphia during the
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
. Adams, who was in Philadelphia attending the
Second Continental CongressThe Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
as a delegate from Massachusetts, wrote a letter home to his wife,
Abigail AdamsAbigail Adams was the wife of John Adams, who was the second President of the United States, and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth...
, which said:
"This is King Tammany's Day. Tammany was an Indian King, of this past of the Continent, when Mr. Penn first came here. His court was in this town. He was friendly to Mr. Penn and very serviceable to him. He lived here among the first settlers for some time and until old age. ... The people here have sainted him and keep his day" (Lyman H. Butterfield, ed., Adams Family Correspondence; Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1963-1973, II, pp. 229-230).
On May 1, 1778, General
George WashingtonGeorge Washington was the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the first President of the United States of America...
and the
Continental ArmyThe American Continental Army was an army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen...
held a Tammany festival while camped at
Valley ForgeValley Forge, Pennsylvania, was the site of the camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War...
. The "men spent the day in mirth and jollity...in honor of King Tammany" (Military Journal of George Ewing, 1928).
After the end of the Revolutionary War, Tammany celebrations spread throughout America, as far away as Savannah, Georgia. Wherever a Tammany Society had been established, the society would promote a local Tammany festival. Many calendars of the time listed "Saint Tammany's Festival" on May 1.
Tammany celebrations were such important events that, in 1785, George Washington appeared at the Tammany festival in Richmond, Virginia with Virginia governor
Patrick HenryPatrick Henry served as the first post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779. A prominent figure in the American Revolution, Henry is known and remembered for his "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" speech, and as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
. In 1787, New York City first began to have a Tammany festival.
Developments since 2003
In 2003, two identical
concurrent resolutionIn the United States, a concurrent resolution is a legislative measure passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Passed by both houses, concurrent resolutions are not presented to the President and do not have the force of law...
s were introduced in the
United States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election....
(Senate Concurrent Resolution 39 and House Concurrent Resolution 123) that sought to establish "St. Tammany Day" on May 1 as a
national day of recognitionThe United States does not have national holidays . The U.S. Federal government can only recognize national holidays that pertain to its own employees; it is at the discretion of each state or local jurisdiction to determine official holiday schedules...
. The bills were referred for review to the Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization, which is a subcommittee of the
House Committee on Government ReformThe Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816.-Jurisdiction:...
. As of December 2006, the Subcommittee has yet to take any action on the bill.
Other Tammany appearances in popular culture
In 1794,
Ann Julia HattonAnn Julia Hatton, née Kemble , was a popular novelist of the early 19th century....
's tremendously popular "Tammany: The Indian Chief" premiered on
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
. It was the first major opera
librettoA libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata.Libretto ,...
written in the United States that had an American theme and it was the earliest drama about American Indians.
In 1826, Tammany appeared (as "Tamenund") at the conclusion of
The Last of the MohicansThe Last of the Mohicans is a historical novel by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826.It was one of the most popular English-language novels of its time. Its narrative flaws were criticized from the start, and its length and elaborately formal prose style have reduced its appeal...
, a novel which was extremely popular in the antebellum United States. The novel was written by
James Fenimore CooperJames Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
(one of the first popular American novelists) and was part of the
Leatherstocking TalesThe Leatherstocking Tales is a series of novels by American writer James Fenimore Cooper, each featuring the main hero Natty Bumppo, known by European settlers as "Leatherstocking," 'The Pathfinder", and "the trapper" and by the Native Americans as "Deerslayer," "La Longue Carabine" and...
(which had a significant impact on both American literary culture and the emerging nation's identity).
Statues, monuments, and other mentions of Tamanend/Tammany
- Philadelphia has a statue of Tamanend located at the intersection of historic Market Street
Market Street, originally known as High Street, is a major east-west street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the majority of its length, it serves as Pennsylvania Route 3....
with Front Street. The statue is located between Old CityOld City is a neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in the area near the Delaware River where William Penn and the Quakers first settled...
and Penn's LandingPenn's Landing is the waterfront area of the Center City along the Delaware River section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is so named because the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, docked here in 1682, after landing at what is now Penn St & 2nd in Chester, PA...
, the riverfront area. The plaque notes that "Tamanend was considered the patron saint of America by the colonists prior to American Independence."
- The Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield was the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the county seat of Adams County, which had approximately 2,400 residents at the time. It is now the site of two Federally owned and administered...
has a statue of Tamanend on a monument to the Tammany Regiment that fought at Gettysburg. During the Civil War, the Tammany Regiment was the nickname of the New York 42nd Infantry.
- The famous "Tecumseh Statue" at the United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States, that educates and commissions officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Academy often is referred to simply as "Annapolis". It is also called "The Academy", "The Boat School", or "Canoe...
faces Tecumseh Court (in front of Bancroft HallBancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is the largest single dormitory in the world. Bancroft Hall, named after former Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft, is home for the entire brigade of 4,000 midshipmen, and contains some 1,700 rooms, of corridors, and of...
) where the Brigade of Midshipmen forms the daily Noon Meal Formation. The "Tecumseh Statue" is a bronze replica of the figurehead of the USS DelawareThe third USS Delaware of the United States Navy was a 74-gun ship of the line, named for the state of Delaware.-Service history:She was laid down at Norfolk Navy Yard in August 1817 and launched 21 October 1820. She was roofed over and kept at the yard in ordinary until on 27 March 1827 she was...
. This bust, one of the most famous relics on the campus, is commonly known as TecumsehTecumseh also Tecumtha or Tekamthi, was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy that opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
. However, when it adorned the American man-of-war, it commemorated not Tecumseh but Tamanend. In times past, the bronze replica was considered a good-luck "mascot" for the midshipmen, who threw pennies at it and offered left-handed salutes whenever they wanted a 'favor', such as a sports win over West Point, or spiritual help for examinations. Today it is used as a morale booster during football weeks and on special occasions when "Tecumseh" is painted in themes to include super heroes, action heroes, humorous figures, a leprechaun (before Saint Patrick's Day) and a naval officer (during Commissioning Week).
- Saint Tammany Parish is one of nine Louisiana parishes (counties) named for "saints" and the sole one whose eponym is not a "saint" as recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.