Richard Platt (1754 - 1830."Colonel Richard Platt"
''

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...

''. Retrieved on 25 February 2017.) was an aide-de-camp to

Alexander McDougall Alexander McDougall (1732 9 June 1786) was a Scottish-born American seaman, merchant, a Sons of Liberty leader from New York City before and during the American Revolution, and a military leader during the Revolutionary War. He served as a m ...

during the Revolutionary War. Platt served as the chairman of the Committee of Arrangements"New-York Historical Society Quarterly Bulletin V.09 N.02"
''

''. Retrieved on 25 February 2017. in organizing New York's Federal Procession of 1788, which celebrated the ratification of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...

. Platt was also a member of the

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

of the State of New York, for which he served as Treasurer"New-York, July 6, 1789"
''

NewsBank NewsBank is a news database resource that provides archives of media publications as reference materials to libraries. History John Naisbitt, the author of the book ''Megatrends'', founded NewsBank.Andrews 1998, p. 17. The company was launched i ...

''. Retrieved on 25 February 2017. alongside

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

, who served as the society's Vice President

Federal Procession of 1788

Platt served as the chairman of the Committee of Arrangements in organizing New York's Federal Procession of 1788, which celebrated the ratification of the

. Contrary to popular opinion, New York had not yet ratified the Constitution by the time of that state's Federal Procession. Once news that sufficient ratification by the requisite nine states had been achieved upon

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

's ratification on June 21, 1788, officials in New York City planned a celebratory procession for July 22, hoping that by that time, New York would have also ratified the constitution. Although New York still had not ratified as the planned procession's date approached, Platt determined that, due to the overwhelming public excitement surrounding the constitution's consummation, the celebratory procession could no longer be delayed, saying: "The day having been more than once postponed in the interesting hope that this state, then in its convention, would likewise accede to the Union, the Committee of Arrangements found it impossible any longer to oppose this patriotic ardor of their fellow citizens." New York's procession was finally set for July 23, 1788. By that time, Virginia had also acceded to the constitution, bringing the total number of states which had ratified the constitution to ten. New York's procession was thus organized into ten divisions, being various groups of merchants, tradesmen, and mechanics, to celebrate those states.

Professional Affiliations

On February 15, 1787, Platt was admitted as a member of the

New York Manumission Society The New-York Manumission Society was an American organization founded in 1785 by U.S. Founding Father John Jay, among others, to promote the gradual abolition of slavery and manumission of slaves of African descent within the state of New York. ...

, which promoted the manumission of slaves. Another notable member of the society was

. On July 8, 1788, Platt was appointed the Treasurer of the

of the State of New York, serving alongside

, who on that date was appointed the society's Vice President."New-York, July 5, 1788"
''

''. Retrieved on 25 February 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Platt, Richard 1754 births 1830 deaths Continental Army officers from New York (state) Abolitionists from New York City People from colonial New York