Society of the Cincinnati is given a special place on
this site because it is the oldest military hereditary
society in the United States, and has a special place
in American history. In many ways, the Society
of the Cincinnati laid the foundation as a model for
most hereditary societies which came after it.
The Society began as the brainchild of Major General
Henry Knox. Supported by George Washington, Knox
initiated the Society and helped draft the Institution
upon which it is based. The basis for the
creation of the Society of the Cincinnati was to
provide a means of ongoing fellowship for the officers
of the Continental Army, and to develop charitable funds to assist
the families of original members. The Society
also acted on behalf of the Army's officers in an effort to
secure military pensions for surviving Revolutionary
The structure of the Society is multi-faceted, with
significant authority residing within the individual
State societies, of which there are thirteen, as well
as a French society. The General Society of the
Cincinnati was established by the leading officers of
the Continental Army, and representatives from each
State line in 1783. The organizational meetings
were held at the Verplank House in Fishkill, New York;
home of Major General Baron von Steuben, who also presided
over the first meetings. The Society was founded
in May, 1783.
George Washington served as the first President
General of the Society of the Cincinnati from December
1783, until his death in 1799. His advocacy of
the Society's interests, as well as the sheer strength
of his reputation helped establish the Society of the
Cincinnati during its formative years; a time when
some opposition to the Society existed. Washington's
leadership stabilized and guided the Society of the
Cincinnati as President General for the first sixteen
years of its existence.
The name of the society is derived from the story of
the Roman farmer, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus.
In the Fifth Century, B.C., Cincinnatus, a farmer, was
called upon to leave his fields and lead Rome into battle.
After returning victorious, Cincinnatus returned to
his fields until he was called upon to serve as
temporary dictator of early Rome. Once again, he
laid down his power to return to a normal
life when his job was
done. Thus is evidenced in the motto of the Society,
"He gave up everything to serve the republic."
This example of unwavering service, and a willingness
to lay down personal power for the good of the republic
is the model upon which the Society of the Cincinnati
was based. Far from the dangerous aristocracy
it could have become, the Society demonstrated an adherence
to the principles upon which it was founded, and followed
the example of the noble Cincinnatus.