Tammany Hall , ( also called the Society of St. Tammany , the Sons of St. Tammany , or the Columbian Order ) , named for Tamanend ( meaning `` affable '' ) , a Native American leader of the Lenni Lenape , was started in 1786 and was declared on May 12 , 1789 as the Tammany Society . Tammany Hall , also known as the Society of St. Tammany , the Sons of St. Tammany , or the Columbian Order , was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12 , 1789 as the Tammany Society .