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, particularly those experiencing poverty or illness, older adults, and the recently deceased in need of burial. It is among the oldest benefit societies 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 occur 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 at risk of losing its building at 87 MacDonough Street due to unpaid 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. The group created a GoFundMe to raise $350,000 to restore the building; by the mid-2020s, they had raised nearly 70 percent of that goal.

Also at risk is the mid-1850s building used by a Southern United Order of the Tents headquartered at 73 Cannon Street in Charleston, South Carolina, which the city declared a hazard in 2012. The group lacked funds to restore the building, yet many remaining members had a strong emotional attachment to it. The Preservation Society of Charleston donated funds to reinforce the building's structural integrity and to board up the windows. However, it is hoped that the organization can also undertake the rehabilitation of this property. In the twenty-first century, the United Order of the Tents continued to focus on community and social issues.

Bibliography

"About the United Order of Tents Eastern District #3." The United Order of Tents and Eastern District 3, www.unitedorderoftentseasterndistrict3.org/about-the-united-order-of-tents-eastern-district-3. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

Budds, Diana. “The Last-Ditch Effort to Save the United Order of Tents’ Bed-Stuy Headquarters.” Curbed, 21 Oct. 2022, www.curbed.com/2022/10/united-order-of-tents-bedford-stuyvesant-headquarters-tax-vacancy.html. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

“Grand United Order of the Tents.” Six to Celebrate, 6tocelebrate.org/site/grand-order-of-the-tents. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

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 7 Dec. 2025.

High, Tanesha. “The United Order of Tents, 73 Cannon Street.” Discovering Our Past: College of Charleston Histories, 24 Jan. 2025, discovering.charleston.edu/items/show/29. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

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 7 Dec. 2025.

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 7 Dec. 2025.

"The United Order of Tents of J.R. Giddings and Jollife Union." Social Welfare History Project, 31 Jan. 2023, socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/religious/the-united-order-of-tents-of-j-r-giddings-and-jollife-union. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

“The United Order of Tents.” United Order of Tents, www.unitedorderoftents.org. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

Waldon, Mahogany. “A Legacy of Sisterhood: The United Order of Tents.” Black Southern Belle, www.blacksouthernbelle.com/the-united-order-of-tents. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.