Formation of the Society of the Cincinnati
- When
- 1783–1799
- Where
- Verplanck House (Mount Gulian), Fishkill, New York; Mount Gulian, von Steuben's headquarters; General Society of the Cincinnati; Society of the Cincinnati
- Episodes
- 4
The Society of the Cincinnati, a hereditary fraternal order for Revolutionary War officers, was founded in May 1783 in the Hudson Valley of New York, with its Institution formally adopted on May 13, 1783, at Mount Gulian, von Steuben's headquarters.
Episodes
- First meeting at the Verplanck House
The Society's first meeting occurred in May 1783 at a dinner at the Verplanck House, before the British evacuation of New York City.
- Institution formally adopted at Mount Gulian
On May 13, 1783, the Institution of the Society was formally adopted at Mount Gulian, von Steuben's headquarters, regarded as the Society's birthplace.
- Bald eagle adopted as insignia
On June 19, 1783, the General Society adopted the bald eagle as its insignia, following Major Pierre L'Enfant's suggestion.
- Washington elected first President General
George Washington was elected the Society's first President General, serving from December 1783 until his death in 1799.
Background and detail
Background. The Society of the Cincinnati was founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that produced the United States. Membership was largely restricted to descendants of military officers who served in the Continental Army, and the order was organized as a fraternal, hereditary society.
Founding at the Verplanck House and Mount Gulian. The Society's first meeting was held in May 1783 at a dinner at the Verplanck House (present-day Mount Gulian) in Fishkill, New York, before the British evacuation from New York City. Mount Gulian, von Steuben's headquarters, is considered the birthplace of the Society, where the Institution was formally adopted on May 13, 1783.
Early Insignia and Leadership. On June 19, 1783, the General Society adopted the bald eagle as its insignia, a suggestion made by Major Pierre L'Enfant, a French officer who had joined the American Army in 1777 and served in the Corps of Engineers. George Washington was elected the first President General, serving from December 1783 until his death in 1799.
People involved
- George Washington · First President General of the Society
- Pierre L'Enfant · Major and designer of the eagle insignia; one of the first members
- Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben · Commanding general whose headquarters hosted the Society's formal adoption
Sources
- Society of the Cincinnati Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-10
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.