May 1st Notes and Beyond

I've wondered what happened to May Day in the U.S. I thought that perhaps the changes occurred in my toddlerhood. Some changes surly did occur then, for I remember May baskets, flower garlands, and stories of recent Maypoles. I see none of of these things associated with the season now.

Lately I've learned that the first among our founding fathers participated in some of those changes. George Washington himself encouraged the transfer of the mirth and jollity of May 1st to "King Tammany" at Valley Forge. The Valley Forge of our history preceded my toddlerhood.

To make St. Tammany Day on May 1st a national day of recognition was proposed by way of Senate Resolution 39 and House resolution 123 at a very early date.

Please help me to learn about this Tammany business and about May Day. Tammany began long before 'Tammany Hall' and May Day must have pre-Christian origins. What might we lean about ourselves through more understanding of this part of our history.

Was there an Ann Julia Hatton of Sait Tammany Parish Louisiana who wrote an opera libretto that turned out to be the earliest dram about American Indians. Was tammany mentioned in that operetic work?

Now it seems like I remember a name like Tammany in 'Last of the Mohicans.'

I believe that New York had a Tammany Regiment in the Civil War.

More questions:
Who was King Tammany?
Did George Washington have something against May Day?
What was so special about King Tammany that made celebrating his day a good replacement for other or addition to May Dy celebrations?
How are King Tammany and St. Tammany related?