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| Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the Revolution | |
|---|---|
| Name | Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the Revolution |
| Formation | 1889 |
| Type | Patriotic hereditary society |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Region served | Massachusetts |
| Leader title | President |
Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the Revolution is a hereditary patriotic society founded in 1889 in Boston that claims descent from participants in the American Revolutionary War and promotes commemoration of Revolutionary-era events. The society connects descendants of figures associated with the Boston Massacre, Battles of Lexington and Concord, Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Continental Congress, while maintaining relations with organizations such as the Sons of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Suffrage movement-era lineage groups. It has occupied historic sites in Boston and engaged with institutions like the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Old State House (Boston), and the Paul Revere House.
The society was established in the context of late 19th-century commemorative movements that included the Centennial Exposition (1876), the Philippine–American War-era patriotic revival, and the surge of lineage societies such as the Society of the Cincinnati and the Aztec Club of 1847. Early founders drew inspiration from veterans and civic leaders associated with the Continental Army, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, and personalities linked to the Boston Tea Party, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Adams. Throughout the Gilded Age (United States), the society participated in memorial events for anniversaries of the Declaration of Independence, the Battle of Saratoga, and the Siege of Boston, coordinating ceremonies with municipal authorities in Boston Common, at the Bunker Hill Monument, and near the Old North Church. In the 20th century it adapted to interactions with federal commemorations such as those of the United States Bicentennial, the National Park Service, and the Library of Congress while responding to historiographical shifts initiated by scholars like Howard Zinn and institutions such as Harvard University.
The society's stated mission emphasizes preservation of records tied to patriots from events including the Lexington Alarm, the Battle of Chelsea Creek, and the Siege of Boston, and the promotion of public remembrance through partnerships with the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Boston Athenaeum, and local historical commissions. Membership criteria require documented descent from persons who rendered service in capacities linked to the Continental Army, the Massachusetts militia, the Committee of Correspondence, or local civic roles around incidents like the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Prospective members submit genealogies, vital records, and documentation referencing repositories such as the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the National Archives, the Massachusetts Archives, and the Plymouth Colony records. The society has admitted men tracing lineage to signers of the Declaration of Independence, participants at the Second Continental Congress, and soldiers from battles like Monmouth Court House and Trenton.
The society is governed by an elected board including a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer with committees overseeing outreach, preservation, and scholarships; governance practices mirror those of other lineage organizations such as the Sons of the American Revolution and the Society of the Cincinnati. Annual meetings have convened at venues tied to Boston civic life including the Old State House (Boston), Faneuil Hall, and private clubs associated with figures like Alexander Hamilton and Stephen Decatur-era institutions. The constitution and bylaws reference standards for proofs of descent aligned with methods used by the New England Historic Genealogical Society and rely on archival holdings at the Massachusetts Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, and the Library of Congress for verification. The society maintains liaison relationships with municipal authorities in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lexington, Massachusetts, and Concord, Massachusetts for preservation projects.
Programs include commemorative ceremonies for anniversaries of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, wreath-laying at monuments like the Bunker Hill Monument and plaques at sites such as the Old North Bridge, educational lectures featuring scholars affiliated with Harvard University, Boston University, and the University of Massachusetts, and collaborative events with the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America. The society publishes rosters, lineage records, and occasional proceedings similar to those produced by the Society of the Cincinnati and sponsors awards and scholarships for students researching figures like John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Paul Jones, and militia officers from engagements such as Lexington and Concord. It participates in patriotic parades, historical marker dedications with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority-adjacent sites, and outreach to museums including the Old South Meeting House, the Paul Revere House, and the USS Constitution Museum.
The society has owned and stewarded historic properties, collections of manuscripts, heraldic items, portraits, and regalia tied to Revolutionary-era personages such as Paul Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Israel Putnam. Holdings have been cataloged in cooperation with repositories like the Massachusetts Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and include printed materials, membership rosters, minute books, and artifacts used in ceremonies comparable to those preserved by the Society of the Cincinnati and the Daughters of the American Revolution. The society has loaned materials for exhibitions at institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Old State House (Boston), and the Peabody Essex Museum.
Prominent members and leaders have included descendants of Revolutionary figures and civic leaders connected to institutions like Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Boston Public Library. Leaders have coordinated with national lineage counterparts including officers of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Society of the Cincinnati, and engaged scholars associated with Harvard Law School, Boston College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Past presidents and officers have often been lawyers, historians, and public servants with ancestral ties to signers of the Declaration of Independence, delegates to the Continental Congress, and officers in the Continental Army.
Category:Patriotic societies Category:Organizations based in Boston