UPDATE: SCHS — Photo of the Week / 7.21.23 — ‘Daughters of the Revolution, 1891 – 1983’

Photo of the Week

Week of August 21 – 27, 2023

FROM THE SCHS LIBRARY ARCHIVES

“How shall we know it is us without our past?”
– John Steinbeck

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DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION, 1891 – 1983

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Daughters of the Revolution, 1891-1983. (Image from the Collection of the Suffolk County Historical Society Library Archives, the official D of R repository.)

The Daughters of the Revolution (known as the “D of R“) was founded in New York City in 1891 after a difference of opinion within the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) arose over membership qualifications. The D of R was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York as an organization national in its work and purpose. The objectives of the society were stated in its constitution:

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“To perpetuate the patriotic spirit of the men and women who achieved American Independence; to commemorate prominent events connected with the War of the Revolution; to collect, publish, and preserve the rolls, records, and historic documents relating to that period; to encourage the study of the country’s history; and to promote sentiments of friendship and common interest among the members of the Society.”

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A woman was eligible for D of R membership if she was above the age of eighteen and was descended from an ancestor who “assisted in establishing American Independence during the War of the Revolution, as a military or naval officer, a soldier or a sailor, an official in the service of any of the thirteen original Colonies or of the United Colonies or States or of Vermont; a member of a committee of Correspondence or of Public Safety, or a recognized patriot who rendered material service in the cause of American Independence.” The application fee in the 1890s was one dollar, and annual dues were three dollars. The society’s governing organization included a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, chaplain, librarian, historian, registrar, and board of managers.

When the Daughters of the Revolution disbanded in 1983, the Suffolk County Historical Society Library & Archives became the official repository of the its national member application records and some other materials. Though the collection has not been digitized, an invaluable electronic finding aid to the application papers is available on the website of the German Genealogy Group (www.germangenealogygroup.com). The original applications, which contain genealogical information, are available to researchers in our physical library space. Call to schedule your library visit: 631-727-2881 x103. You never know what historic surprises you might find!

–by Wendy Polhemus-Annibell, Head Librarian

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