Sons of the Revolution

Sons of the Revolution
Name	Sons of the Revolution
Formation	1876
Type	Patriotic hereditary society
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	United States
Leader title	President General

Sons of the Revolution is an American hereditary society founded in 1876 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War and honor descendants of participants in the conflict. The organization emphasizes lineage tracing to individuals who supported American independence during the Revolutionary era, often coordinating with historic sites, museums, and other lineage societies. Its membership and activities intersect with preservation efforts at places like Independence Hall, Yorktown Battlefield, and Valley Forge National Historical Park.

History

The society originated in the centennial milieu that produced organizations such as the Sons of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution during the late 19th century, reflecting contemporary interest in figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton. Founders drew upon veterans' commemorations connected to events like the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Yorktown, and engaged with institutions such as the New-York Historical Society and the American Philosophical Society. Early leaders consulted genealogical records housed at repositories like the Library of Congress and collaborated with antiquarians who studied the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. Over time the society evolved alongside preservation movements concerned with sites like Monmouth Battlefield State Park and memorial projects honoring figures from the Continental Congress and the Continental Army.

Membership and Eligibility

Eligibility requires documented descent from an individual who rendered bona fide service or support to the Patriot cause during the Revolutionary era, comparable to ancestors who participated in engagements such as the Battle of Saratoga or diplomatic missions like those undertaken by John Adams and John Jay. Prospective members typically submit genealogical proofs drawn from parish registers, militia rolls, pension files, and probate records similar to those curated by the National Archives and state archives in places such as Massachusetts, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The society’s eligibility contrasts and occasionally overlaps with criteria used by societies honoring veterans of the War of 1812 or the American Civil War, and members sometimes also belong to organizations like the Sons of Confederate Veterans or the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States when lineage permits.

Organization and Chapters

Structured with a national headquarters and constituent state or city chapters, the society’s governance includes elected officers such as a President General and trustees, mirroring officer roles found in bodies like the New York State Society of the Cincinnati and the Sons of the American Revolution National Society. Local chapters meet in historic venues including courthouses, libraries, and museums associated with figures like James Madison and Patrick Henry. The society’s chapters have appeared in metropolitan centers such as New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, and maintain relationships with sites on the National Register of Historic Places and organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Activities and Programs

Programming ranges from genealogical research support and lineage verification to preservation advocacy for battlefields like Trenton and Monmouth, commemorative ceremonies on dates connected to the Siege of Boston and Evacuation Day (New York), and educational outreach in partnership with museums including the Museum of the American Revolution and Historic New England. The society conducts wreath-laying ceremonies at monuments honoring revolutionary leaders, sponsors scholarships similar to awards administered by the Daughters of the American Revolution, and organizes lectures on subjects related to diplomats such as Benjamin Franklin and military officers like Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox. Publications, archives, and proceedings distributed by the society have been consulted by researchers working with collections at institutions like the American Antiquarian Society and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Notable Members

Notable members have included prominent Americans with ancestral ties to Revolutionary figures, ranging from politicians and jurists to historians and collectors associated with institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. Figures with documented involvement in similar hereditary circles include those linked to families of John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Ethan Allen, Francis Marion, and Roger Sherman. Members often intersected with public figures active in civic life, such as elected officials from New York City and Boston, trustees of universities like Harvard University and Yale University, and benefactors of historic preservation who supported campaigns involving Mount Vernon and the Washington Monument.

Controversies and Criticism

The society has faced critique over issues common to hereditary organizations, including debates about exclusivity, lineage verification standards, and representational politics relating to commemorations of figures like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Critics have compared practices to controversies surrounding other lineage bodies, including disputes over eligibility and historical interpretation that have affected groups tied to the Civil War and to monuments commemorating the Founding Fathers. Scholarly debates about memory, inclusion, and the public role of commemorative societies have engaged historians from universities and think tanks, prompting some chapters to reassess outreach and public programming in light of evolving perspectives found in scholarship about the American Revolution and early national history.

Category:Hereditary societies of the United States