Who are the Sons of the American Revolutions?

The SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was incorporated on January 17, 1890 in Connecticut and later chartered by the United States Congress on June 9, 1906. Before then, a number of state societies were formed in the 1890’s. These were led by the Sons of Revolutionary Sires, organized July 4, 1876 in San Francisco. The first Congress of the National Society was held in Louisville, Kentucky on April 30, 1889 at the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s taking of the oath of office of President of the United States.

Our Purpose

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NS-SAR) is a historical, educational, and patriotic non-profit corporation that seeks to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom, an appreciation for true patriotism, a respect for our national symbols, the value of American citizenship, the unifying force of e pluribus unum that has created one nation and one people from the people of many nations.

We do this by perpetuating the stories of patriotism, courage, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph of the men who achieved the independence of the American people in the belief that these stories are universal ones of man's eternal struggle against tyranny, relevant to all time, and will inspire and strengthen each succeeding generation as it too is called upon to defend our freedoms on the battlefield and in our public institutions.

What We Do

• We provide recognition for public service. This includes young men and women who are leaders in our communities including high-ranking high school students of history, Eagle Scouts, JROTC and ROTC cadets and midshipmen.
• We honor, respect, and support veterans, especially those confined to residential and hospital facilities provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• We sponsor essay and oration contests for high school students, based on historical and patriotic themes.
• We freely distribute an American history curriculum developed by the Houston Independent School System with the Robert and Janice McNair Foundation and the American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc.
• We inspire the community with the principles on which our nation was founded.
• We inform the community about the events and philosophical bases of the American Revolution and the Constitution.
• We help people locate and evaluate genealogies through the the NS-SAR library, a major national repository of genealogical information.

Membership Requirements

Any man is eligible for membership in this Society who, being of the age of eighteen years or over and a citizen of good repute in the community, is the lineal descendant of an ancestor who was at all times unfailing in loyalty to and rendered active service in, the cause of American independence, either as an officer, soldier, seaman, marine, militiaman or Minuteman, in the armed forces of the Continental Congress, or of any one of the several Colonies or States; or as a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, or as a member of a Committee of Safety or Correspondence; or as a member of any Continental, Provincial, or Colonial Congress or Legislature; or as a recognized patriot who performed actual service by overt acts of resistance to the authority of Great Britain.

We regret that no preliminary decision can be given on a line of descent, service or the value of proposed evidence. When examined during the application process, a preliminary decision might prove to be incorrect. The National Society accepts no responsibility for such errors.

Note: Painting of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c.1768-1770