Daughters of the Cincinnati records
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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.
Subjects
Organizations
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
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Daughters of the Cincinnati, 2017
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processed by Marybeth Kavanagh, July-August 2017