National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR)

Chapter Search • Convention Information • NSDAR History • NSDAR Membership Requirements

NSDAR Mission Statement: The objectives of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution are promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism. We accomplish our mission through over 2,700 chapters in the US and twelve foreign countries. Our Americana Collection houses over 5,000 documents focusing on early America. The DAR Library includes 160,000 volumes of genealogical information. The DAR Museum, which is free and open to the public, is home to a collection of over 30,000 objects and 31 Period Rooms prior to 1840.

NSDAR Mission Motto: God, Home, and Country

Daughters of the American Revolution National Headquarters

NSDAR HQ Address/NSDAR Map:	NSDAR Online
1776 D Street NW Washington, D.C. 20006
Telephone: (202) 628 1776	Make a donation NSDAR EIN: 53-0205923
NSDAR Date Founded:	October 11, 1890
NSDAR Congressionally Chartered:	1896 36 U.S. Code Chapter 1531
NSDAR Leadership:
President General:	Ann Turner Dillon
NSDAR Website

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NSDAR History:
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded on October 11, 1890, during a time that was marked by a revival in patriotism and intense interest in the beginnings of the United States of America. Women felt the desire to express their patriotic feelings and were frustrated by their exclusion from men’s organizations formed to perpetuate the memory of ancestors who fought to make this country free and independent. As a result, a group of pioneering women in the nation’s capital formed their own organization and the Daughters of the American Revolution has carried the torch of patriotism ever since. The objectives laid forth in the first meeting of the DAR have remained the same in 125 years of active service to the nation. Those objectives are: Historical – to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved American Independence; Educational – to carry out the injunction of Washington in his farewell address to the American people, “to promote, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge, thus developing an enlightened public opinion…”; and Patriotic – to cherish, maintain, and extend the institutions of American freedom, to foster true patriotism and love of country, and to aid in securing for mankind all the blessings of liberty. Since its founding in 1890, DAR has admitted more than 950,000 members.
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NSDAR Membership Eligibility Requirements:
Any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence is eligible to join the DAR. She must provide documentation for each statement of birth, marriage and death, as well as of the Revolutionary War service of her Patriot ancestor. Don’t know where to start? Fill out a Pedigree Chart (PDF) as completely as you can and bring it with you when you meet with the chapter representative. She will be able to guide you through the application process. Genealogical Research System The DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS) is a combination of several databases created to organize the large quantity of information that the DAR has collected since its inception in 1890. Learn more about conducting research with the GRS. When you have discovered your own genealogical background, check to see if someone has already joined DAR using your ancestor. You might have a portion of a lineage in common. To find out check the Descendants and Ancestor links in the GRS. See if your Revolutionary Ancestor has already been proven See if you have a proven common lineage If you discover a common lineage in the GRS, you may want to see the complete DAR application detailing this lineage, called a Record Copy. Electronic Record Copies may be purchased directly from the GRS. Learn more about researching and purchasing Record Copies. By completing the application process you will discover what countless other DAR members have discovered: the thrill of finding out how their ancestor helped to achieve American Independence and a deeper appreciation of how what they did impacts our way of life today. Learn More Today’s DAR and You! (PDF) Prospective Member Information Request Form Questions? write to membership@dar.org On the Web: http://www.dar.org/national-society/become-member/how-join http://www.dar.org/national-society/become-member/how-join
Number of Chapters:	2,852
Members:	185,000

Annual National Meeting: