Membership
If one of your ancestors helped win the Revolution, there is a place for you here.
The Sons of the American Revolution is a lineage society. Membership is open to any man over eighteen who can show bloodline descent from a person who supported American independence. You do not need the research finished, or even started — that is what the chapter registrar is for.
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Who is eligible
Descent must be lineal — parent to child, without stepping sideways through an uncle or a cousin. Adopted descendants are eligible on the same terms as natural ones. There is no requirement of residence, profession or religion, and the society takes no part in politics.
Junior membership is available to boys under 22 through the Children of the American Revolution.
Continental or state military service, or militia duty
Naval and privateer service
Signing an oath of allegiance or a petition
Civil office under a revolutionary government
Material aid — supplies, money, livestock, transport
How joining actually works
Three steps, and the chapter does the heavy part of two of them.
01
Find your patriot
Anyone who supported the cause of independence counts — a soldier or sailor, a signer, a member of a committee of safety, or a civilian who gave material aid. Most applicants already have a family story; the registrar will tell you quickly whether it is workable.
02
Document the line
Each generation between you and that ancestor needs a record: birth, marriage and death certificates, census pages, wills, land records. Where an approved application already exists for a relative, much of this is done and can be cited.
03
Submit and be inducted
The registrar checks the file, the chapter approves it, and the application goes to the state and then national society. New members are inducted at a chapter meeting with their certificate and rosette.
Annual dues
Dues run with the calendar year and include the state and national society portions. A one-time application fee is payable with the first year. [sample text — replace]
Student
$10 / year
Under 25 and in full-time education. Same standing, same vote, lower dues.
Individual
$30 / year
The standard membership. Covers the chapter newsletter and all meetings.
Family
$45 / year
Two or more members at one address, including junior members.
Business
$150 / year
For firms that want to support the chapter and be named in the program.
Pay your dues online
Choose your membership level and pay your annual dues securely by card. Signed-in members have their name and email filled in automatically.
Questions we get asked
I have no idea who my Revolutionary ancestor was.
That is the usual starting point. Bring what you know — names, places, approximate dates — and the registrar will search the national databases with you. Many members discover a patriot they had never heard of.
Do I have to live in Missouri?
No. Members join the chapter they feel closest to. Several of our compatriots live out of state and take part by newsletter and at the annual meetings.
What about women in the family?
The Daughters of the American Revolution is the parallel society for women, and the Children of the American Revolution for those under 22. Our registrar can point you to the local chapters of both.
How long does an application take?
It depends almost entirely on how much documentation already exists. A well-supported line can be approved in a few months; one needing original research takes longer.
Bring us a name and we will start looking.
No obligation and no cost. The registrar will tell you honestly whether a line looks provable before you spend a penny on records.