Revocation of Edict

Origin of the GSSR

The General Society Sons of the Revolution is a patriotic society composed of lineal descendants of soldiers, sailors and noteworthy civilians who had served the United States during the American Revolution. It was formed from a meeting held on February 22, 1876, in New York City. The original organizer of the Sons of the Revolution was John Austin Stevens who sought to form a new organization of descendants of Revolutionary War veterans due to the restrictive membership requirements of the Society of the Cincinnati. Later, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution was formally formed on December 4th, 1883, at a memorial lunch held at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan where George Washington had given his farewell address to the officers of the Continental Army 100 years before. In 1888 the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution formed and in 1890 the General Society of the Sons of the Revolution was formed by the New York and Pennsylvania societies. In the next few years, several more state societies were founded and the society took on a more national character.

Objectives of the GSSR

The General Society Sons of the Revolution was instituted to

• perpetuate the memory of the men who, in the military, naval and civil service of the colonies and of the Continental Congress, by their acts of or counsel, achieved the independence of the country
• perpetuate the proper celebration of the anniversaries of the birthday of Washington, and of prominent events connected with the War of the Revolution
• collect and secure for preservation the rolls, records, and other documents relating to that period
• inspire the members of the Society with the patriotic spirit of their forefathers
• promote the feeling of friendship among the members of the Society

Membership in the GSSR

Qualifications for membership are

• any male person of good character, and lineal descendant of one who, as a military, naval or marine officer, soldier, sailor, or marine, in actual service, under the authority of any of the thirteen colonies or states or of the Continental Congress, and remaining always loyal to such authority
• a lineal descendant of one who signed the Declaration of Independence
• a lineal descendant of one who served as a member of the Continental Congress, or of the Congress of any of the colonies or states, or as an official appointed by or under the authority of any such legislative bodies, who actually assisted in the establishment of American independence by services rendered during the War of the Revolution, becoming thereby liable to conviction of treason against the Government of Great Britain, but remaining always loyal to the authority of the colonies or states
• a lineal descendant of one who served honorably in a military or naval expedition against the British during the War of the Revolution under the authority of the French or Spanish Governments

Contact Information

For further information about the GSSR or for additional provisions regarding eligibility and/or applying for membership please visit their website at www.sr1776.org or contact them directly at the address below.

Material for this page obtained from The General Society Sons of the Revolution website at www.sr1776.org. Please note there is no affiliation between the GSSR and the Descendants of Marie Ferree organization. The information above is provided only as a courtesy to anyone who may have an interest in joining a lineal society.