101st Annual National Council for the Social Studies Conference
virtual
November 18, 2021
Explore how the ideals articulated during the American Revolution—liberty, equality, civic responsibility and natural and civil rights—embody our national identity. During this virtual session we featured our new lesson plans as well as the work of two of our talented master teachers from New Jersey, Rob Schulte and Laura James.
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The Return of Cincinnatus
Attributed to Angelica Kauffmann (1740-1807)
ca. 1775Gift of Margaretta Kingsbury Maganini, 1969
Classical myths and legends were popular subjects of allegorical paintings in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
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Drawing of the Society of the Cincinnati medal
Pierre-Charles L’Enfant
June 1783The Society of the Cincinnati Archives
At the request of the Society, Pierre-Charles L’Enfant, a French volunteer in the Continental Army Corps of Engineers, drew a design for a medal bearing imagery of the life of the fifth-century BC Roman hero Cincinnatus, from whom the Society takes its name. The obverse, shown here, depicts Cincinnatus receiving his sword from Roman senators as he leaves home to lead his country against its enemies.
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Sketch for the Society of the Cincinnati medal, reverse
Pierre-Charles L’Enfant
June 1783The Society of the Cincinnati Archives
The reverse side of the medal shown in L’Enfant’s pen-and-ink drawing features the victorious Cincinnatus returned to his plow, with the figure of Fame flying over him holding a banner that reads “Virtutis Praemium.”![Society_Cincinnati_Exteriors_167[1755]](https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Society_Cincinnati_Exteriors_1671755-scaled.jpg "Click for a larger view.")
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George Washington
cast from the original marble Jean-Antoine Houdon 1785 commission for the Virginia general assembly by Paul King Foundry, Johnston, RI under the direction of sculptor Robert Shure of Skylight Studios, Woburn, MA
2008The Society of the Cincinnati
![Society of the Cincinnati Eagle drawing by L'Enfant 1783, obverse, white background Archives Box 7 Folder 5A [flat]](https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Society-of-the-Cincinnati-Eagle-drawing-by-LEnfant-1783-obverse-white-background-Archives-Box-7-Folder-5A-flat-scaled.jpg "Click for a larger view.")
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Sketch for the Society of the Cincinnati Eagle
Pierre-Charles L’Enfant
June 1783The Society of the Cincinnati Archives
L’Enfant’s original sketch for the Society’s insignia, cut out to convey its actual proportions, is endorsed by Maj. Gen. Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a founding member of the Society who served as acting president general briefly before George Washington took office. It bears on each side a medallion depicting scenes of the life of Cincinnatus.
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Society of the Cincinnati Eagle insignia owned by Tench Tilghman
Nicolas Jean Francastel and Claude Jean Autran Duval, Paris
1784Gift of Harrison Tilghman, Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland, 1953
George Washington, the first president general of the Society, purchased eight gold Society insignias to give to former aides-de-camp who joined the organization. He presented this one to Tench Tilghman of Maryland, to whom Washington entrusted the duty of delivering to Congress the Articles of Capitulation after the Siege of Yorktown. Tilghman's Eagle retains its original silk ribbon and metal clasp.
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Detail of the Society of the Cincinnati Eagle insignia, obverse
Nicolas-Jean Francastel and Claude-Jean-Autran Duval, Paris
1784Gift of Harrison Tilghman, Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland, 1953
The oval medallion on the obverse of the Eagle depicts Cincinnatus receiving a sword from two representatives of the Roman senate.
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Detail of the Society of the Cincinnati Eagle insignia, reverse
Nicolas-Jean Francastel and Claude-Jean-Autran Duval, Paris
1784Gift of Harrison Tilghman, Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland, 1953
The oval medallion on the reverse of the Eagle shows Cincinnatus having returned triumphantly to the plow.
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Society of the Cincinnati diploma
September 1, 1789Gift of Mrs. Edward Correa, 1955
The imagery on this diploma is based on Pierre L’Enfant’s original sketch for the Society’s membership certificate. The medal featuring the story of Cincinnatus is in the lower left and right corners. This diploma belonged to Lt. Matthew Gregory, who served in the Third Connecticut Regiment, and is signed by Henry Knox and George Washington.![Society of the Cincinnati diploma drawing 1783 Archives [oversize]](https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Society-of-the-Cincinnati-diploma-drawing-1783-Archives-oversize-1.jpg "Click for a larger view.")
Click for a larger view.Drawing of the diploma of the Society of the Cincinnati
Drawing of the diploma of the Society of the Cincinnati
Pierre-Charles L’Enfant
June 1783The Society of the Cincinnati Archives
Concerned that all members of the Society might not be able to afford to purchase an Eagle, L’Enfant also submitted this design for an elegant membership certificate, to be called the diploma. The imagery depicts America forcing Britannia away from its shores, with Fame heralding the achievement of American independence. The Society adopted the diploma and the Eagle as the official emblems of membership at its June 19, 1783, meeting.
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"Washington and American Independance, The Apotheosis of Franklin" bed curtain
England, ca. 1785The Society of the Cincinnati
"Washington and American Independance, The Apotheosis of Franklin" (alternately known as "The Apotheosis of Franklin and Washington") is a copperplate-printed bed furnishing in red on white cotton or cotton-linen blend, made in England, ca. 1785. The pattern depicts George Washington in military uniform standing in a chariot alongside a seated female figure of America, who holds a caduceus in one hand and an oval plaque inscribed "AMERICAN / INDEPEND/ ANCE / 1776" in the other hand. The chariot is pulled by two leopards, which are flanked by two American Indians, one holding a thirteen-striped flag and the other a flag bearing a rattlesnake inscribed "Unite or Die" and cut into thirteen parts. Soldiers carrying striped flags descend from a mountain and follow the chariot. Behind the chariot is the (labeled) Liberty Tree, bearing an upside-down placard reading "Stamp Act." Above Washington, the pattern depicts Benjamin Franklin next to the personification of Liberty, and the two hold a banner inscribed "WHERE LIBERTY DWELLS THERE IS MY COUNTRY." On the other side of Franklin is the goddess Athena, carrying a shield with thirteen stars and pointing to the Temple of Fame, and two putti holding a globe showing America divided into Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and New England. The winged figure Fame holds two trumpets and flies in front of the temple. Above Franklin are a beaver and a heron with a fish in its mouth shown in a marsh. The textile may have originally been a bed curtain or bedspread, and may have been converted into a drape or hanging at a later date.
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La Tableau Moral Raisonné des Symboles de la République
Nürnberg: Joh. Andreä Endterische Handlung, ca. 1794The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
The expenses of the American war drove the French government to insolvency, hastening the outbreak of revolution in 1789. This print reflects the radical transformation of the French Revolution that began in the summer of 1792. Allegorical figures of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity—the optimistic motto of the French Revolution’s first years—are joined by Unity and Indivisibility, the added watchwords of the radical Jacobins who imposed political orthodoxy, and violence, through the Terror. The print includes George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and other classical and Enlightenment “founders of liberty,” alongside nine French leaders of the Revolution who had died in battle, or by assassination or execution, as “martyrs of liberty.”
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The Basics [Bas Relief Portrait Plaques of Lawgivers]
various artists, 1950House Chamber, United States Capitol
The twenty-three marble relief portraits over the gallery doors of the House Chamber in the U.S. Capitol depict historical figures noted for their work in establishing the principles that underlie American law. They were installed when the chamber was remodeled in 1949-1950. Created in bas relief of white Vermont marble by seven different sculptors, the plaques each measure twenty-eight inches in diameter. The eleven profiles in the eastern half of the chamber face left and the eleven in the western half face right, so that all look towards the full-face relief of Moses in the center of the north wall. The subjects of the reliefs were chosen by scholars from the University of Pennsylvania and the Columbia Historical Society of Washington, D.C., in consultation with authoritative staff members of the Library of Congress. The selection was approved by a special committee of five Members of the House of Representatives and the Architect of the Capitol.![La destruction de la statue royale a Nouvelle Yorck by André Basset [possible], ca. 1776](https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/La_destruction_de_la_statue_royale_a_Nouvelle_Yorck_New_Yorkers_pull_down_George_IIIs_statue_engraving-2.jpg "Click for a larger view.")
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La destruction de la statue royale a Nouvelle Yorck [New Yorkers pull down George III's statue]
André Basset, publisher [possible]
ca. 1776The Society of the Cincinnati
On July 9, 1776, after hearing the reading of the Declaration of Independence, New Yorkers tore down the gilt equestrian statue of King George III located on the Bowling Green.
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Written by a captain of the British army during the siege of Boston, expressing contempt of the American "habituated by notions of independence... the same spirit shews itself from Nova Scotia to the Carolinas . . ."
John Gunning to Alexander Dick
July 17, 1775The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 1Written by a captain of the British army during the siege of Boston, expressing contempt of the American "habituated by notions of independence... the same spirit shews itself from Nova Scotia to the Carolinas . . ."
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John Gunning to Alexander Dick
July 17, 1775The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 2
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John Gunning to Alexander Dick
July 17, 1775The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 3
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Jonathan Birge to Priscilla Birge
August 15, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
Series of letters by Jonathan Birge to his wife, Pricilla Birge, regarding the role of him and his company of troops during the 1776 New York campaign.
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Jonathan Birge to Priscilla Birge
September 1, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
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Jonathan Birge to Priscilla Birge
September 24, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 1
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Jonathan Birge to Priscilla Birge
September 24, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 2
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Jonathan Birge to Priscilla Birge
October 6, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 1
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Jonathan Birge to Priscilla Birge
October 6, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 2
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Jonathan Birge to Priscilla Birge
October 20, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
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Edward Paine, Nathaniel West and George Hubbard to Priscilla Birge, regarding the death of Jonathan Birge.
Edward Paine, Nathaniel West and George Hubbard to Priscilla Birge
November 17, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 1Edward Paine, Nathaniel West and George Hubbard to Priscilla Birge, regarding the death of Jonathan Birge.
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Edward Paine, Nathaniel West and George Hubbard to Priscilla Birge
November 17, 1776The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
page 2
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From the Revolution to the Civil Rights Movement, Part 4 of 4: Martin Luther King and the American Revolution
James H. Hershman, Jr.
July 3, 2013
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Powder horn owned by Daniel Allen
Roxbury, Mass.
ca. 1776Museum purchase with a gift from Dr. J. Phillip London of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati and Dr. Jennifer London, 2019
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The Institution of the Society of the Cincinnati
May 1783The Society of the Cincinnati Archives
Adopted at the founding meeting on May 13, 1783, the Institution remains the principle guiding document of the organization to the present day. The first official copy was inscribed on a large, irregularly shaped sheet of parchment and signed by George Washington and thirty-five other officers. The Institution lays out the tenets and organizational structure of the Society, the rules of eligibility to membership, the establishment of constituent branches and details of the Society’s insignia. To join the Society, the original members were required to sign their names to the Institution, thus pledging their allegiance to the immutable principles upon which the Society was founded.
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Badge of Military Merit
ca. 1782-1783Collection of the American Independence Museum, Exeter, NH and the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire. Gift of William L. Willey.
George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit—the first military decoration for enlisted men—on August 7, 1782. The award recognized distinguished conduct and was intended to encourage “virtuous ambition” and “every species of Military merit.” Soldiers honored with the award “shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding.” Only two reputed examples are known, of which this is one. The decoration fell out of use after the Revolutionary War but was revived in 1932 as the modern Purple Heart.
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Discharge of Private John Hall
[1783]The Society of the Cincinnati, Gift of Robert L. Buell, 1966
In accordance with instructions from Congress, the soldiers of the Continental Army who had enlisted for the duration were furloughed in June 1783—and were sent home with no more than one month’s pay in cash and promissory notes for a few months additional pay. John Hall, a private in the Second New York Regiment, received this discharge, noting he “has been honored with the Badge of Merit for two years faithful service.”
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William Barton to Father and Mother
July 1777The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
These letters are addressed to Barton's father, Gilbert Barton, and other family members at Allentown, N.J. Letters are contained in a blue and buff leather clamshell case custom made by Handbridge Bindery. Several mention military events relating to Germantown, Valley Forge, the French fleet, prisoner exchanges, and Sullivan's campaign against the Iroquois, including the death of Capt. Davis; others describe camp life which "does not very well agree with me", homesickness, clothing and other supply needs Also included is a letter from Barton's friend Jno. Blair to Gilbert Barton, 24 Feb. 1778, [#5] advising that his son is unwell and "beggs that you would speak to Colo. Brearely [David Brearley] to write to Major [John] Conway to give him leave to go home." Barton, Blair, and Brearley were original members of the Society of the Cincinnati.
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Plan of the Investment of York and Gloucester
Sebastian Bauman
Philadelphia, 1782The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
Within days of the British surrender at Yorktown, General George Washington directed Major Sebastian Bauman of the Second Regiment Continental Artillery to survey the battlefield and encampments. The following year Bauman collaborated with a Philadelphia engraver, Robert Scot, to publish this elegant large-scale map “in order that the public may form an idea of that memorable siege.” Dedicated to General Washington, Bauman’s plan provides remarkable detail of the topography, fortifications, siege works, positions of the American and British lines, headquarters of the commanding officers and “The Field where the British laid down their Arms.”
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The Battle at Bunkers Hill near Boston the June 17th 1775
Johann Gotthard von Mueller, engraver, after John Trumbull
London: Antonio C. de Poggi, No. 91 New Bond Street, 1798The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
The scene of the battle with General Joseph Warren lying dead in the center surrounded by anxious officers with the battle raging in the background. This is a copy of the first engraving arranged by Trumbull after he completed his painting, titled, The death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June 1775, in Benjamin West's studio in London in 1786. Because no English engravers would produce a work celebrating the victory of the Americans during the Revolution, Trumbull had it engraved by Muller in Stuttgart and later it was published by A. C.de Poggi in London in 1798.
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He Comes the Hero Comes
David and Ginger Hildebrand, Colonial Music Institute
George Washington's Mount Vernon, The Music of Washington's World series, December 17, 2015
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The President's March
David and Ginger Hildebrand, Colonial Music Institute
George Washington: Music for the First President, 1999
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"His Excellency Gen Washington"
Charles Willson Peale
Philadelphia, 1778The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
Peale's mezzotint is based on his own painting of Washington from life, the first authentic likeness of Washington to appear in print. One of only three examples of the mezzotint known (the other examples are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC; and in the Archivo General de Indias, Seville, Spain).
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General Washington
David and Ginger Hildebrand, Colonial Music Institute
George Washington: Music for the First President, 1999
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A Toast
David and Ginger Hildebrand, Colonial Music Institute
George Washington: Music for the First President, 1999
Click for a larger view.Henry Knox (1750-1806)
Peter Roos (1850-1910) after Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828)
Late 19th–Early 20th century
Henry Knox, who served as chief of artillery in George Washington’s army, first described an organization of veteran officers in 1775. As the Revolutionary War drew to a close in 1783, Knox proposed the creation of the Society of the Cincinnati and drafted the original Institution. He served as the first secretary general of the Society and later as vice president general. This copy of Gilbert Stuart’s 1806 portrait of Henry Knox depicts the general in a post-Revolutionary War uniform standing next to a cannon—a reference to Knox’s role in the Continental Army. Knox was a twenty-five-year-old Boston bookseller when the Revolutionary War began. He had taught himself the basic principles of gunnery reading books on military science in his store. George Washington made Knox chief of artillery and ordered him to bring heavy guns overland from Fort Ticonderoga to force the British to evacuate Boston. Knox’s journey from Ticonderoga to bring the cannons to Washington’s army is one of the epic feats in American military history.
Peter Roos (1850-1910) after Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828)
Late 19th–Early 20th century
The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
Henry Knox, who served as chief of artillery in George Washington’s army, first described an organization of veteran officers in 1775. As the Revolutionary War drew to a close in 1783, Knox proposed the creation of the Society of the Cincinnati and drafted the original Institution. He served as the first secretary general of the Society and later as vice president general. This copy of Gilbert Stuart’s 1806 portrait of Henry Knox depicts the general in a post-Revolutionary War uniform standing next to a cannon—a reference to Knox’s role in the Continental Army. Knox was a twenty-five-year-old Boston bookseller when the Revolutionary War began. He had taught himself the basic principles of gunnery reading books on military science in his store. George Washington made Knox chief of artillery and ordered him to bring heavy guns overland from Fort Ticonderoga to force the British to evacuate Boston. Knox’s journey from Ticonderoga to bring the cannons to Washington’s army is one of the epic feats in American military history.
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Alexander Hamilton
William J. Weaver (ca. 1759-1817)
ca. 1806Museum Acquisitions Fund purchase, 2016
Alexander Hamilton wore a uniform like the one depicted in this portrait as the senior major general in the U.S. Army during the Quasi-War with France in 1798-1800—but the artist mistakenly painted only one star on each epaulet instead of two. William J. Weaver painted versions of this posthumous oil-on-wood panel portrait for Hamilton’s friends and admirers. This example was owned in the nineteenth century by George W. Riggs of Washington, D.C.
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John Hancock
Edward Savage, after John Singleton Copley
1875The Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State
This portrait of John Hancock by Edward Savage is signed and dated 1785. Savage adapted the 1765 original by Copley.
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Linen Press
attributed to Michael Allison
ca. 1800-1810The Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State
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William Russell to Mary Russell
March 2, 1781The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
Russell was an American privateer who was captured by the British and held prisoner first at Mill Prison in England, and after his release he was recaptured and incarcerated in the prison ship 'Jersey' at New York. When he was finally released in March 1783, desperate to repay debts & provide for his family, he joined a merchant ship to make money before returning home to his family, but within a year he died of consumption.
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Jonathan Birge to Priscilla Birge
October 20, 1776The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
This is one of six letters written by Capt. Jonathan Birge of Connecticut to his wife describing the activities of his regiment during the difficult New York campaign. Emotions of love and loss are intertwined with details of company activities, troop movements, requests for supplies, sickness and causalities.
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Sully
The Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State
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An Authentic Narrative of the Life of Joshua Slocum
Hartford: Printed for the author, 1844The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
Prefatory Remarks: “The names of a Washington, a Warren, a Green, and a host of others, who figured conspicuously in that mighty contest, have been blazoned in history, and their memories will go down to posterity embalmed with the tenderest recollections of the heart. … But while we concede to these renowned Generals and distinguished Civilians all the praise their exalted service deserve, we should not forget those who in a more humble and subordinate capacity, faithfully served their country … While yet they live,—while the low, glimmering, dying taper yet quivers into darkness, let them be respected; and let those of the present more selfish generation emulate their noble example” (pp. v-vi). Edited by John Slocum, the subject’s son. View of the city of Hartford on the frontispiece.
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A Pensioner of the Revolution
John Neagle (1796-1865)
1830The Society of the Cincinnati, Museum purchase, 2017
This somber and arresting portrait depicts a homeless veteran living on the street in Philadelphia named Joseph Winter. The painting attracted popular attention in early 1831, when John Sartain published a mezzotint engraving of the work titled Patriotism and Age, which became a call to the conscience of the nation to care for those who had fought its battles and won its freedom.
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A Plea for the Poor Soldiers; or An Essay, to Demonstrate that the Soldiers and Other Public Creditors Who Really and Actually Supported the Burden of the Late War, Have Not Been Paid! Ought to be Paid! Can be Paid! And Must be Paid!
New-Haven: Re-printed by A. Morse, 1790The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
title page
Click for a larger view.Moll Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth
painted by D.M. Carter; engraved by John Rogers
New York: Martin, Johnson & Co., 1856
Battle scene with Molly Pitcher in the center assisting two solders fire a cannon next to an officer who lies mortally wounded. In the background to the right are a group of officers on horseback, the first of which appears to be George Washington.
painted by D.M. Carter; engraved by John Rogers
New York: Martin, Johnson & Co., 1856
The Society of the Cincinnati
Battle scene with Molly Pitcher in the center assisting two solders fire a cannon next to an officer who lies mortally wounded. In the background to the right are a group of officers on horseback, the first of which appears to be George Washington.
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Anti-Slavery Medallion, Am I Not A Man and A Brother
Henry Webber, artist; Struck in Great Britain
1787The Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State
This anti-slavery medallion was produced as part of the late 18th century abolitionist movement in Western Europe and America. Many abolitionists wore these medallions to clearly state their position and start conversations about slavery. These small porcelain and ceramic medallions were designed and produced by a team of craftsmen led by British potter Josiah Wedgwood. Over time, the medallions’ popularity grew, and the image appeared on a variety of objects, including chinaware, cufflinks, and pamphlets distributed by and among the activists.
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Partially printed D.S., Hartford, June 7th 1782: receipt of Pay-Table-Committee
Cuff Liberty, Dick Freedom, Committee of the Pay Table; Connecticut. Treasury Dept.
1782The Society of the Cincinnati, The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection
Payment receipt signed for Dick Freedom by Cuff Liberty. Dick Freedom and Cuff Liberty were African American participants in the Revolutionary War who adopted aspirational names during their service. They served in the all-African American Second Company of the Fourth Connecticut Regiment.
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