Holding a print of George Washington, this locket is engraved on the front with the date of the deceased president’s birthday, February 22, and the owner’s name, James S. Smith. The inscription on the miniature’s reverse identifies Smith as a member of the Sons of Washington, Federalists who viewed themselves as the guardians of the revolutionary legacy. The organization aimed to uphold the hierarchical principles of Washington’s government by countering the trend of social leveling in popular politics—a strategy that some saw as elitist. This object was likely created as a commemorative badge for the Sons of Washington’s celebration of the president’s birthday in 1810. A Federalist organization, the Sons used the occasion to honor the deceased former president and simultaneously assert their patriotism and political strength. At such events, members of the group were described in a Philadelphia newspaper as wearing badges like this one, "consist[ing] of an excellent miniature likeness of Washington, set in gold, accompanied with suitable inscriptions."