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Daughters of the Cincinnati records

Call Number

MS 3031

Date

1894-1998, inclusive

Creator

Daughters of the Cincinnati

Extent

21 Linear feet (25 boxes)

Language of Materials

The documents in this collection are in English.

Abstract

The Daughters of the Cincinnati records contain a variety of documents concerning the formation of the hereditary lineage organization and its activities. The collection contains minutes, yearbooks, annual reports, correspondence, financial and organizational records, clipping scrapbooks, invitations, and photographic materials.

Historical Note

The Daughters of the Cincinnati is a hereditary lineage organization founded in 1894 by female descendants of American Revolutionary War officers. The organization's stated purpose is to advance and encourage the study of the history of the Revolution, and its main philanthropic aim is to provide college scholarships to the daughters of current military officers. To be eligible for membership, applicants must prove that they are descended from an original member of the Society of Cincinnati, or a Revolutionary War officer who met the requirements for membership.

The Daughters of the Cincinnati was incorporated in New York State on Dec. 27, 1894, 111 years after the founding of the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization which does not admit female members. The Society of the Cincinnati was founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution. The organization took its name from the ancient Roman hero Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, whom they considered the embodiment of civic virtue. The primary aims of the Society of Cincinnati were to perpetuate the memory of the Revolutionary War and promote the ideals of the Revolution, and to provide support for members and their families. In order to perpetuate their organization and its aims, the founders made membership hereditary. Hereditary members of the Society of the Cincinnati are qualified male descendants of commissioned officers who served in the Continental Army or Navy.

Arrangement

The Daughters of the Cincinnati Records are organized in four series. Within those series, the materials are divided into subseries and arranged chronologically.

Series I: Minutes and Annual Reports
Series II: Organizational Records
Series III: Scrapbooks and Ephemera
Series IV: Photographs

Scope and Contents

The Daughters of the Cincinnati records contain a variety of documents concerning the formation and development of the organization and its activities. The collection contains minutes, yearbooks, annual reports, correspondence, financial and organizational records, clipping scrapbooks, invitations, and photographic materials.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as Daughters of the Cincinnati Records, MS 3031, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Daughters of the Cincinnati, 2017

Related Materials

The library holds a copy of the Daughters of Cincinnati 1979 publication A Salute to Courage: the American Revolution as seen throught the wartime writings of officers of the Continental Army and Navy. It also holds copies of the Constitution and by-laws, as well as some volumes of the organization's yearbooks.

Collection processed by

Marybeth Kavanagh

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:51:25 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is written in: English, Latin script.

Processing Information

Processed by Marybeth Kavanagh, July-August 2017

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024