Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Draft of a society to be formed by the American officers & to be called "the Cincinnati"
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.02090 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Autograph document Date: 15 April 1783 Pagination: 8 p. : docket ; 34 x 21.1 cm. Order a Copy
Document itself not signed, but docket has Knox's signature. This is a draft document describing the purpose and administrative organization of the officer's fraternal organization that became the Society of the Cincinnati. Says the Society was created to perpetuate "the remembrance of this great event [victory in the Revolution], as the mutual friendships which have been formed under the pressure of common danger, and in numerous instances cemented by the blood of the parties." One of its goals is to "preserve inviolate those exalted rights and liberties of human nature, for which they have fought and bled, and without which the high rank of rational being is a curse, instead of a blessing." Says they will promote the Union between the states. Says the General Society will be divided into state groups and then county groups. The general society will meet every three years, the state society every year, and the county societies every three months. Goes on to describe the administrative make-up of the various societies. Title taken from Knox's docket. GLC02437.02089 is a later copy of this document.
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