Daily AncestorSociety of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is the hereditary society founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army, with membership passing to an eldest male heir.
Officers formed the society in May 1783 at the Verplanck House near Fishkill, New York, with George Washington as its first President General. Officers who had served at least three years in the Continental Army or Navy, or to the end of the war, could join, and those who died in the war could be recorded as members. Militia and minutemen could not.
Membership passed to the eldest male heir, so a later member may be an officer's son or grandson rather than a veteran himself. A society was organized in each of the thirteen states and in France.
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Daily Ancestor. "Society of the Cincinnati." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/society-of-the-cincinnati. Last checked 2026-10-12.