History
The Improved Order of Red Men & Degree of Pocahontas
The Improved Order of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution. They were established to promote Liberty and to defy the tyranny of the English Crown. Among the early groups were: The Sons of Liberty, the Sons of St. Tammany, and later the Society of Red Men.
On December 16, 1773 a group of men, all members of the Sons of Liberty, met in Boston to protest the tax on tea imposed by England. When their protest went unheeded, they disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, proceeded to Boston harbor, and dumped overboard 342 chests of English tea.
During the Revolutionary War, members of secret societies quenched their council fires and took up muskets to join with the Continental Army. To the cause of Freedom and Liberty they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors. At the end of the hard-fought war the American Republic was born and was soon acknowledged among the nations of the world.
Post-Revolution
Following the American Revolution many of the various secret societies founded before and during the conflict continued in existence as brotherhoods or fraternities.
For the next 35 years, however, each of the original Sons of Liberty and Sons of St. Tamina groups went their own way, under many different names. In 1813, at historic Fort Mifflin, near Philadelphia, several of these groups came together and formed one organization known as the Society of Red Men. The name was changed to the Improved Order of Red Men in Baltimore in 1834.
At Baltimore, Maryland, in 1847, the various local tribes came together and formed a national organization called the Grand Council of the United States.
With the formation of a national organization, the Improved Order of Red Men soon spread, and within 30 years there were State Great Councils in 21 states with a membership of over 150,000. The Order continued to grow and by the mid-1920s there were tribes in 46 states and territories with a membership totaling over one-half million.
The Order Today
Degree Of Pocahontas History
The Degree of Pocahontas is the women’s affiliate of The Improved Order of Red Men. It was organized in 1885 and soon councils had sprung up across the United States. The organization takes its name from the famous Pocahontas, daughter of the powerful Native American Chief Powhatan of the Algonquian Indian Tribe. She befriended the early English settlers at Jamestown, allowing herself to be held hostage after her father threatened to destroy the entire settlement. Because of her friendship with the English, Powhatan ordered his tribe to provide food and clothing during the terrible winter of 1614. This help ultimately allowed the English colony to grow and flourish and is today considered the first permanent English settlement in North America. The Degree of Pocahontas, as a separate organization, engages in fraternal and social affairs and provides an excellent program for women seeking an ideal fraternal association.
Beliefs of the Red Men
- Love of and respect for the American Flag.
- Preserving our Nation by defending and upholding the principle of free Government.
- America and the democratic way of life.
- Preserving the traditions and history of this great Country.
- Creating and inspiring a greater love for the United States of America.
- Helping our fellow men through organized charitable programs.
- Linking our members together in a common bond of Brotherhood and Friendship.
- Perpetuating the beautiful legends and traditions of a once-vanishing race and keeping alive some of the traditional customs, ceremonies, and philosophies.