Sons of the Revolution

A Guide to the Sons of the Revolution

Many people claim to have an ancestor who fought in the American Revolutionary War. If you do know then you could join the Sons of the Revolution.

Sons of the Revolution

You may be a descendant as there were as many as 250,000 men who fought in this war of independence from Great Britain.

Please read on and I’ll explain what this society is all about.

Do you have military ancestors?

Sorry, before I do continue discussing this society. I just want to show you something that may interest you.

If you are interested in tracing the story of your military ancestors then you may wish to check out the Ancestry website.

Please watch this!

The following short video will show you where you can start your search.

Credit: Ancestry

Discussed in this post:

Express Your Thoughts Below

Express Your Thoughts Below!

I would love to hear from you.

What Was The Revolutionary War?

Before I do discuss this society I just need to give a brief history lesson.

First of all The American Revolutionary War is also referred to as the American War of Independence and the Revolutionary War.

The war was fought between the thirteen colonies of North America who wanted to gain independence from Great Britain.

These thirteen colonies were located on the east coast of America and they resisted the royal authority that governed their lives.

The beginning of the war!

Before the beginning of the war, there were protests and even boycotts.

These colonists, also known as Patriots, rebelled against the republicanism of Great Britain. They too rebelled against any Loyalists who supported the British.

One particular incident occurred a few years previous to the start of the war in 1773 at Boston Harbor. Protestors destroyed a shipment of tea and this incident famously became known as the Boston Tea Party.

The British retaliation!

The British government likewise retaliated to this rebellion and punished the state of Massachusetts.

They effectively took away their rights to govern their state.

Massachusetts responded to this punishment by forming a shadow government. They then joined twelve other colonies and coordinated their resistance against the British.

The first armed conflict occurred on April 19th, 1775 when the British tried to seize the munitions that the Massachusetts colonists possessed.

This conflict lasted for over 10 months and resulted in the evacuation of the British troops.

By July 2nd, 1776 the Continental Congress voted for independence to which this Declaration was issued on July 4th.

This bloody war resulted in approximately 25,000 men and another 17,000 men who died from the disease.


Sons of the Revolution Society Explained

The Sons of the Revolution was founded over a hundred years after the American War of Independence in 1876. It is a fraternal organization and was formed by members of the Society of Cincinnati.

What Is The Sons of the Revolution?

Their goal was as quoted,

Broaden participation in preserving American Heritage on the eve of this country’s centennial.

And so they educate people about the American Revolution.

Promoting knowledge and appreciation!

Through their goal, they wanted to promote both knowledge and appreciation for the achievement of the Revolutionary War in gaining independence.

They also wanted to foster fellowship between the members of the society.

Their headquarters are based in the state of Virginia. in the city of Williamsburg. Today the Sons of the Revolution are spread over the United States in 28 societies.

They also have societies within Europe as well, and in Mexico too.

Notable members include past Presidents of the United States, such as George W Bush, George H W Bush, Gerald Ford, and Dwight D Eisenhower.

There have been United States senators, representatives, ambassadors, and government officials who have been a member of this society.

What is the General Society?

A General Society was later formed on April 19th, 1880, (the anniversary of the start of the war). Their goal was to have national unity across the societies within the United States.

Any son or descendant of an enlisted man or officer was able to join.

The ‘Let Freedom Ring’ Celebration

The society’s biggest celebration is called Let Freedom Ring and is celebrated on quite understandably the day of American Independence, July 4th.

Bells are rung thirteen times at exactly 2.00 pm to honor the thirteen colonies who signed the Declaration of Independence.

The Liberty Bell is tapped by four young descendants and this sets off bell chimes all over the nation.

Besides the Let Freedom Ring celebrations, there are other activities that the society performs throughout the year.

Their goal as stated at the beginning of this post is to educate people on the significance of this date in American history

And they do this through patriotic, historical, and educational activities.

Activities performed during the year:

  • Triennial General Meetings,
  • Citizen Awards,
  • Military Awards,
  • Let Freedom Ring Celebrations,
  • Evacuation Day Observances, and
  • Grave-Marker and Wreath Placements.

What can I get from society?

The society is open to any male who is at least eighteen years of age and who is a descendant of anyone who fought in the Revolutionary War.

There are also Junior, Senior and Life memberships as well.

The society publishes two different publications the Drumbeat and Flintlock and Powderhorn.

The first publication is published quarterly while the second is semiannual.

Members can attend any of the gatherings and the Let Freedom Ring celebrations, and can also receive these publications.

As well as publications you can order badges, medals, neckties, and several books discussing the American Revolutionary War.

The society also offers commemorative jewelry such as cuff links, neck ribbons, chest ribbons, and tie tacks as well.

These can be purchased by downloading and returning an order form from the website.

Please check out the GSSR’s Merchandise Page for some great products to buy!


What Can You Do?

There is nothing better than actually participating in promoting this era in American heritage. By doing any of the activities that society suggests you will get a better understanding of your ancestors’ lives.

What can I do?

You will also get an appreciation for their resistance against British rule.

How to get involved?

The Sons of the Revolution do offer you plenty of ways to get involved.

Through these activities not only can you learn about what your ancestor did but also feel proud of their involvement in this important part of American history.

The great thing about this list is that you can do as many as you wish.

What you can do:

  1. Read and discuss any Revolutionary War document.
  2. Write an article for any newspaper, magazine, or publication.
  3. Join a Revolutionary War battlefield organization.
  4. Visit any building or battlefield associated with the war.
  5. Visit the grave of a Revolutionary War hero.
  6. Create an online presence promoting the Revolutionary War.
  7. Attend a criminal trial and learn about America’s jurisdiction system.
  8. Buy a Revolutionary War book for a friend or relative.
  9. Research the history of your Revolutionary War ancestor.
  10. Research a Revolutionary War hero’s state pension.

My Final Thoughts

For me knowing who my ancestors were was never enough. I wanted to learn more about their lives and what they did. I wanted to know as much as I possibly could about them.

Sure, knowing their names, where they lived, what they did for a living, and important events could tell me a lot about them.

But I wanted to know more!

Only by looking into the history of the area and the population was I truly able to say that I knew them, (or at least better than I had before).

By looking closer can you appreciate who they were and what they did for their country and their family as well?

Only by delving deeper into the lives of our ancestors can we truly know them.

Trace Your Colonial Ancestry Collection

Find Your Revolutionary War Ancestors Now!


Thank You and Please Leave A Comment

I hope you enjoyed this post giving you a guide to the Sons of the Revolution society. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.

Please share with family and friends if you think this post will help others by using the social media buttons below.

Summary
Article Name
Guide to the Sons of the Revolution
Description
The Sons of the Revolution are descendants of revolutionists who fought the British. They put on events and educate people about the American Revolutionary War.
Author
Publisher Name
The Genealogy Guide
Publisher Logo

6 thoughts on “A Guide to the Sons of the Revolution”

  1. Hi Owain
    A very good read, I am not an American, but if I were, I would follow your recommendations on becoming proactive with this movement.

    I have to compliment you on your site, being very informative, useful and visually pleasing, easy to read and understand. I know you will do well with this site.

    All the best in going forward, you certainly are on the right track.

    Gary

    1. Thank you Gary for your comment. It is reassuring that I am giving people a site that is helpful and easy to use. I have plenty more posts already lined up to go, and also plan to add a new section to the site very soon.

  2. Very Interesting article about the civil war. I am not an American, but have visited Philadelphia and watch some interesting movies on those times.
    We had a civil war here in New Zealand also, around the mid 1800’s.
    Again it was the British fighting the indigenous people of New Zealand, the Maoris.
    Anyway very interesting and thank you.

    1. Hi Mark,

      Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately though is about the Revolutionary War, not the Civil War. My Civil War post discusses this particular time in America’s history, as well as giving you guides to help you find your Civil War Ancestors.

  3. Wow, this is awesome. Now I have even more of a reason to start looking into my family’s history. Do you know if they do any reenactments? That would be so cool! I’ve always been into war and I’m an actor, so that would be right up my alley. Anyway, thanks for the post. This is something I’m going to try to look into a lot more

    1. Hi Gary, I haven’t across any mention of this society doing any reenactments. I am sure thought that there are other societies who do reenact battles from the Revolutionary War. I will have to look into that further.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *