Membership Certificate, Society of Cincinnati, 1787

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
Description:

Officers from the Continental Army and Navy formed the Society of the Cincinnati in 1783. It was to be an honorific and hereditary society to support patriotic fellowship. Americans who prized social equality worried that the group was creating a new, hereditary privileged elite. Public controversy caused the society to temporarily abandon the requirement that membership be limited to descendants of original members in 1784. George Washington, president of the society, signed this certificate of membership for William Clark of Virginia in 1787.

Associated Date: 1787 03 01

Associated Person: Washington, George

Location: Currently not on view

See more items in: Political and Military History: Political History, General History Collection, Government, Politics, and Reform, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: Mr. and Mrs. George A. Chadwick

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: PL.284906.01Catalog Number: 284906.01Accession Number: 284906

Object Name: Certificatecertificate

Physical Description: skin, parchment (overall material)Measurements: overall: 15 1/4 in x 22 in x 1/2 in; 38.735 cm x 55.88 cm x 1.27 cm

Metadata Usage: CC0

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-2e39-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_515412

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.