4 Easy Steps to Join a Lineage Society

Happy 4th of July! This holiday always makes me think of the lineage societies such as Sons/Daughters of the American Revolution. Then my thoughts turn to helping people go through the process of becoming members of these two societies because that’s what I do as a genealogist. Joining a lineage society can be daunting if you’re not familiar with the process. So I thought I would share the process with you here.

Determine Your Eligibility

The main goal of the Sons of the American Revolution organization is to make sure that you are a direct descendant of a Revolutionary War Patriot. This means that you must provide the necessary documents showing that you are a (male) direct descendant. If you’re a female applying for a lineage society you would apply for the Daughters of the American Revolution.

So first, you need to know if your ancestor was a part of the American Revolution such as did they sign the Declaration of Independence, were they a prisoner of war, served in the military or navy, helped with the war supplies, was a clergyman, etc. Basically, did your ancestor provide acceptable service to the war effort? Once that is established then you move on to finding a local contact.

Finding a Local Contact for a Lineage Society

One of the requirements is to be sponsored by two SAR members. This is easily done by looking for a local chapter near you. You can Google it or you can go to the SAR website to find local chapters. The members help you through the application process and have access to many Revolution documents that will prove your lineage. After finding your local chapter it’s time to gather your documents.

Collect Your Documents

So for this step this is where professional genealogists usually come in because you need to prove parent/child relationships all the way from your ancestor to you. But you are more than welcome to research this part on your own. The SAR website gives specific examples of the documents that will prove those relationships. It even breaks it down into pre and post 1835 documents. Also, the birth, marriage, and death dates and places are strongly encouraged, but not required for the application. It’s just that the more information you have on the direct line the better.

You also have to prove your ancestor’s “patriotic service” on the application. This can include pension files, tax lists for the war, published Revolutionary War soldier lists, published town histories, etc. So it’s not just if you had an ancestor living during that time. It also means did they do valuable service for the war effort. Once that is complete then you move to the final step of starting your application.

Start Your Application

Most of the states will have you do this online. But be prepared for those states who don’t have that option. You will also speak with your sponsors through online communication unless you choose otherwise. They do recommend that you have sponsors to walk you through the application because there may be confusion along the way. However, once it’s completed, it goes to your local chapter first, then state chapter, then national chapter for approval. It usually takes about 12 weeks for the whole process and then you get a national number and you are officially a member.

Why Become a Member of a Lineage Society

One reason is because it gives a sense of belonging to a nation. There’s a certain amount of pride and honor knowing that your ancestor helped this nation be born. Another reason is to give purpose to your life by serving in your local chapter to educate future generations about America’s foundation and supporting the military today. This organization is the largest male genealogical society in the country with over 550 chapters all over America and internationally. So you would be part of a huge society. Plus, you get bragging rights!

Conclusion

All of this information is the same process for women who want to join the Daughters of the American Revolution. These lineage societies do a lot of good and help keep the patriotism alive for future generations.

So as always good luck and happy hunting!

Tiffany

P.S. If you want help with proving your Revolutionary heritage, then contact me and we’ll get that started.

P.P.S Related Reads

• How to Find U.S. Military Records for Your Ancestors