Sign up for the Family Tree Newsletter! Plus, you’ll receive our 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms PDF as a special thank you.
" * " indicates required fields
Two holidays—Flag Day on June 14th and Independence Day on July 4th—commemorate the American Revolution and the creation of the original “Stars and Stripes.” So summertime reminds genealogists of their Revolutionary roots—and often sparks an interest in joining a patriotic lineage society that honor those who played a role in the founding of the United States.
The largest societies for descendants of these patriots are the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for women and the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) for men. Both organizations have chapters in every state, as well as other countries. To become a member, an applicant must show lineal (direct bloodline) descent from a patriot who supported the cause for American independence from Great Britain between the years 1775 and 1783.
While every DAR or SAR membership application is different, most can be completed in four general steps:
This involves documenting birth, marriage and death information for each generation of the lineage, beginning with the applicant and his or her parents. Continue working back, one generation at a time, to the Revolutionary War era. You’ll also need to provide evidence of the parent/child relationship to link each generation to the one before.
To learn more about researching patriots in your family tree, see the July/August 2019 issue of Family Tree Magazine. In it, you’ll find detailed tips using a variety of resources that can help document your ancestor’s patriotic service, with national and state-by-state links. Use it to chart your course to a successful DAR or SAR application. The issue also includes a guide to unexpected details in vital records, plus tips for rescuing photos from magnetic albums.
