Tennessee State DAR Theme:

"Volunteer Hearts in Action"

Tenassee

Chapter

Daughters of the

American Revolution

HISTORY

The Tenassee Chapter of the DAR is named in honor of the first mention of Tenassee*, the chief town of the Cherokee Indians. Tenassee was the site of a treaty between the Cherokees and Great Britain when all of the Cherokee chieftains met Sir Alexander Cumming bringing him their crown along with five eagle tails, and four scalps of their enemies.  They asked him to lay them at the feet of His Majesty, King George, in England. 

Six of the Cherokee chiefs, Sir Cumming and his interpreter, Eleazar Wiggin, sailed from Charleston to England in the spring of 1830, aboard the man-o-war FOX.  Standing before his Majesty, they promised, in the name of their nation, eternal fidelity to the English.  For four months, the Indians were the toast of London.  They went to the theater, inspected ships, and delighted the public with their painted faces and feathers in their hair. Before returning home in September, they sat for a portrait painting by William Hogarth, in which they wore court costumes.

The organizing meeting of the Tenassee Chapter was held on October 20, 1931, at the home of the organizing regent, Mrs. George E. McKennon, in Columbia, Maury County. There were fourteen charter members. 

  (Excerpts from the History of the Tennessee Society Daughters of the American Revolution, 1892-1990; p. 326)

*Tenassee,  (also spelled Tanasi, Tanase, Tenasi, Tunissee, and other such variations) is best know as the namesake for the state of Tennessee.  Tenassee served as the de facto capital of the Cherokee from as early as 1721 until 1730, when the capital shifted to Great Tellico.