Triads had their origin in anti-Manchu resistance in China, the term "triad" coming from the three dots which form part of the Chinese character for the Ming Emperor Hung Wu. Triads began as "Men of Hung." They were both part of the political resistance of the Han Chinese to the Manchu dynasty, as well as outlaws who "Ta fu — chih p'in" (Hit the Rich and help the poor). Triads spread all over the world and control much of the illegal and informal economy in overseas Chinese communities. Thrasher wrote about "tongs" in Chicago, defining tong as "protective society." The largest was the On Leong, that also had chapters in New York and San Francisco