United Order of Tents
The United Order of Tents is a historic Christian fraternal benevolent organization founded in 1848, primarily composed of Black women. Its roots can be traced back to the Underground Railroad, where it played a vital role in supporting those escaping enslavement. The organization was formally incorporated in 1867 by Annetta M. Lane and Harriet R. Taylor, both formerly enslaved women, with help from abolitionists. The United Order of Tents focuses on providing shelter and assistance to individuals in need, including the poor, sick, and deceased who require burial support. Members engage in a secretive communal structure, wearing all white during meetings and referring to each other as "sister." While its membership has declined over the years, the organization remains committed to its mission of outreach and support within the community. Recently, it has faced financial challenges, prompting fundraising efforts to preserve historical properties essential to its legacy. The United Order of Tents continues to adapt and focus on community and social issues relevant to its members today.
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United Order of Tents
United Order of Tents is a Christian Fraternal Benevolent Organization that traces its origins to the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War (1861–1865). Its membership is predominantly Black and all-female and has been concentrated in the East. Its primary mission has always been to provide shelter and assistance to people in need, especially the poor, sick, and older individuals, and the recently deceased in need of burial. It is the oldest benefit society run by Black women in the United States.
The organization dates to 1848, and some members of the Underground Railroad, a network of individuals that helped people escaping enslavement find their way from the South to safer Northern states or Canada. The organization, which takes its name from the tents in which members met and operated, was a secret society because, by law, it could not officially function. The group was formally incorporated as a Christian Fraternal Benevolent Organization in 1867 by two formerly enslaved women, Annetta M. Lane, who hailed from Norfolk, Virginia, and Harriet R. Taylor, who was from Hampton, Virginia. With the assistance of two abolitionists, Joshua R. Giddings and Jolliffe Union, who lent their names to the incorporation process, the women started what was initially known as the Joshua R. Giddings and Jolliffe Union United Order of Tents. The organization expanded, and by 1888, it was headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. Various districts were established across the country.
Overview
The United Order of Tents is a fraternal, secret society of Black women formed for the purposes of supporting those in need and building sisterhood among its members. It has strong Christian roots and continues to emphasize moral, Christian behavior for its members. Initially, its mission included assisting persons who escaped enslavement or were recently freed, providing for the needs of older community members and the sick, and assisting with burials for those with limited means. The group also helped Black Americans get loans when they were not available from other sources.
While at one time membership numbered in the thousands, its size has diminished. This is partly due to the secretive nature of the group, which does not allow men or outsiders to hear or see the rituals and discussions that go on at its meetings. Its members, known for wearing all white to their meetings, do not actively promote membership in the order but do accept new members who meet their secretive criteria. They call each other “sister,” and a few achieve a leadership designation known as “Queen.”
Although the order’s mission has long been helping those in need, several branches of the United Order of Tents found themselves in need of financial assistance in the twenty-first century. The sole remaining group in Eastern District #3, headquartered in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, was in danger of losing its building at 87 MacDonough Street because of back taxes. Fundraising efforts were undertaken to save the building, which dates to 1863. Thanks to a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and the City of New York's willingness to grant the organization a tax exemption, a substantial financial burden was alleviated, and they refocused on restoration efforts. Also at risk is the mid-1850s building used by a Southern United Order of the Tents group headquartered at 73 Cannon Street in Charleston, South Carolina. However, it is hoped the organization can work on the rehabilitation of this property as well. In the twenty-first century, the United Order of the Tents continued to focus on community and social issues.
Bibliography
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“Grand United Order of the Tents.” Six to Celebrate, 6tocelebrate.org/site/grand-order-of-the-tents. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Grove, Rashad. “According to the New York Times, This Secret Historical Society Is Fighting to Save Its Brooklyn Headquarters.” Ebony, 26 Dec. 2022, www.ebony.com/the-united-order-of-tents-brooklyn-headquarters. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
“Home.” United Order of Tents Eastern District 3, www.unitedorderoftentseasterndistrict3.org/home. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Ponterotto, Jason. “United Order of Tents Receives Historic Funding after Facing Destruction.” New York Amsterdam News, 15 June 2023, amsterdamnews.com/news/2023/06/15/united-order-of-tents-receives-historic-funding-after-facing-destruction. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Smith, Glenn. “Order of Tents True to Christian Code.” Post and Courier, 8 Dec. 2016, www.postandcourier.com/news/order-of-tents-true-to-christian-code/article‗9b2774f8-8e3b-56ca-a21b-1c662a349e95.html. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
“The United Order of Tents.” United Order of Tents, www.unitedorderoftents.org. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
“United Order of Tents.” Preservation Society of Charleston, www.preservationsociety.org/locations/united-order-of-tents. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Waldon, Mahogany. “A Legacy of Sisterhood: The United Order of Tents.” Black Southern Belle, www.blacksouthernbelle.com/the-united-order-of-tents. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.