Saturday, September 17, 2011

Improved Order of Redmen



Photo taken in Juneau, Alaska.

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 1920s, Denver and the surrounding areas had six tribes of the Improved Order of Red Men (IORM) with at least three tribes meeting at Evans Hall. There were also 4 Degree of Pocahontas councils (women's auxiliary).