What is The Difference Between Sons of the Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution?

by Richard A. Coe, General Vice President, General Society of Sons of the Revolution, circ.1976

Edited and abridged for clarity by Roger S. Williams, SR #42318 and SAR #207598

Versions of the genesis of the Sons of the Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution are varied. How does it happen that there are two similar organizations with almost identical names?

Poring over publications of the two societies appearing over the years, one finds fingers pointing in both directions and some rather heated arguments. Regardless, we are friends now, and we do not fight with each other. Each Society, however, is jealous* of its own identity, and no longer is an attempt made for amalgamation. Occasionally someone will remark casually, “Wouldn’t it be nice if these two groups with practically the same aims could get together?” It is unlikely that it will ever happen. Some enthusiastic Revolutionary descendants enjoy a dual membership belonging to both S.R. and S.A.R.

Planned and instituted in 1875 in San Francisco, the ‘Sons of Revolutionary Sires’ came into being three thousand miles away from the scenes of the struggles for American Independence. They immediately formed “auxiliary” branches all over the United States. While they stirred up considerable interest, the idea did not seem to take hold. Perhaps it was mostly because potential members in the East did not go along with the idea of having the headquarters of such an organization located in a part of the country that was a long way off that was never even involved in the Revolutionary picture. This California society was the pioneer of the modern hereditary patriotic society, and its influences led to the formation of all of them. It cannot, however, be considered as the founding of either the Sons of the Revolution or the Sons of the American Revolution, as had sometimes been claimed, although it appears that it eventually dropped its name and became affiliated with the S.A.R.

The Sons of the Revolution was formed in New York City in 1883, from organizational plans launched in 1876 by John Austin Stevens, members of the Society of the Cincinnati, obviously due to the influence of the Sons of the Sires, but in no way connected. Since plans for the New York Society of the S.R. were actually “on the drawing board,” and meetings were held, in 1876. As we gather from reading contemporary reports, in 1888 a group of New York members living in New Jersey, proposed a New Jersey Society, and in 1889 groups in several other states followed the lead. Although they intended to effect a union with the previously existing New York and Pennsylvania Societies as Sons of the Revolution, technicalities and some disagreements caused them to disassociate themselves and form a separate organization, which, unfortunately for the sake of clarity and easy identification, was called the Sons of the American Revolution.

Ever since, each national association has traveled its path, with member societies often formed in the same states. Over the years, as early as 1893, several attempts were made by some members of both organizations to consolidate under one name. Sound reasons for and against have been advanced, but the opposition has always been powerful enough to forestall each attempt. Neither society wanted to lose its identity, and compromisers have not jelled. Undoubtedly we will continue to co-exist peaceably, and the confusion will remain despite continual explanations.

The aims and purposes are practically the same. The requirement for membership, however, differ somewhat. While both recognize lineally descendants of ancestors who participated in the Revolutionary War in a military or naval capacity on behalf of American independence, or as officials or individuals whose service was of sufficient importance to have rendered him liable to conviction of treason against Great Britain, the S.A.R. will accept other services not considered by the S.R. These are descent from a justice of the peace, members of a coroner’s jury, surveyor of highways, associator, persons rendering various types of patriotic or civil service, etc. The D.A.R. has patterned its requirements after the S.A.R.: consequently, the Sons of the Revolution cannot always accept the DA.R. lineages.

*Editor’s note: Rather than “jealous,” perhaps “protective” would be more fitting verbiage. For the original, unedited version of this article, click here.