![United Americans of the state of New York / designed & litho'd. in colors by C[harles] Parsons ; printed by G. & W. Endicott.](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn18/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTkvMTEvMDgvdW5pdGVkLWFtZXJpY2Fucy1vZi10aGUtc3RhdGUtb2YtbmV3LXlvcmstZGVzaWduZWQtYW5kLWxpdGhvZC1pbi1jb2xvcnMtYnktNDkyNjMyLTEwMjQuanBn/320/391/jpg "United Americans of the state of New York / designed & litho'd. in colors by C[harles] Parsons ; printed by G. & W. Endicott.")
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![United Americans of the state of New York / designed & litho'd. in colors by C[harles] Parsons ; printed by G. & W. Endicott.](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn18/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTkvMTEvMDgvdW5pdGVkLWFtZXJpY2Fucy1vZi10aGUtc3RhdGUtb2YtbmV3LXlvcmstZGVzaWduZWQtYW5kLWxpdGhvZC1pbi1jb2xvcnMtYnktZmFkNzhiLTY0MC5qcGc%3D/40/49/webp "United Americans of the state of New York / designed & litho'd. in colors by C[harles] Parsons ; printed by G. & W. Endicott.")
United Americans of the state of New York / designed & litho'd. in colors by C[harles] Parsons ; printed by G. & W. Endicott.
Summary
A large, illustrated membership certificate for the Order of United Americans, a nativist secret society founded in New York City in December 1844. Originally called the American Brotherhood, the organization changed its name in January 1845 to the Order of United Americans. It was founded to "oppose foreign influence in [American] institutions or government." By 1847 the order claimed a membership of two thousand. Parsons's certificate has a large central vignette showing the female goddess Liberty on a pedestal surrounded by several men wearing the society's sashes. Liberty wears a crown of stars and holds a garland of flowers and a staff with Phrygian cap. In the sky just above her head is an open eye, symbol of vigilance, and a crescent of stars. On the base of her pedestal are an oval portrait of George Washington and the nativist motto "Beware of Foreign Influence." Crowding around the pedestal are seamen, soldiers, and civilians who embrace each other, clasping hands and holding American flags. Just beyond the pedestal the ground drops off, giving way to a view of a great waterfall, probably Niagara. Two Indians are also visible in the distance. The central vignette is surrounded by an elaborate rococo frame with several smaller vignettes. At left a sick man is visited by two men--seemingly an example of the United Americans' philanthropic activity. On the right a woman kneels before a tomb or monument. In the lower left is a view of the Bunker Hill Monument with the word "Patriotism" below; on the lower right are the personifications of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Below, in the center, is a scene after John Trumbull's painting "The Signing of the Declaration of Independence. "At the top of the frame is an eagle with a shield, several ears of corn, and a cornucopia, with the words "E Pluribus Unum." Surrounding the area of the inscription are seals of the thirteen original states, with New York in the center below. Also visible is the seal of the "Chancery of the U[nited] A[mericans] New York" which features a hand grasping a serpent. The frame is draped in bunting, and also displays the names of several Revolutionary War battles.
Printed in pale olive, yellow, salmon, and black.
The Library's impression of the certificate was deposited for copyright on June 6, 1848.
Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1848-1.
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the US state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, also known as Canadian Falls, which straddles the international border between Canada and the United States. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie entirely within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls are separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York as well. Located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than 50 meters (160 ft). Niagara Falls is famed both for its beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. In 1881, the Niagara River's first hydroelectric generating station was built. The water fell 86 feet (26 m) and generated direct current electricity, which ran the machinery of local mills and lit up some of the village streets. In 1893, Westinghouse Electric designed a system to generate alternating current. In 1896, giant underground conduits leading to turbines generating upwards of 100,000 horsepower (75 MW), we installed.
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