Genealogy

Tracing your family history begins with you. What do you already know and can document about yourself and your parents? Records such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses are the building blocks of a family tree. Continue to build your family tree by collecting information and documenting the lives of your ancestors.

Traces of your family’s history might be found written inside the cover of an old family bible, listed in a newspaper obituary, carved on a tombstone, portrayed in a photograph, spoken as a story from a relative’s memory, or recorded on an official state document. Locating documentation can require an investment of time, but it is manageable if you know where to look. 

Establishing Your Patriot Ancestor

Who served and how did they serve?

Military service is credited to those who served in campaigns against the British between April 19, 1775, and November 26, 1783.

Civil Service is credited to those who conducted public business under the authority of the new federal, state, county, and town governments.

Patriotic service is credited to those who acted to further, or demonstrate loyalty to, the cause of American independence, such as taking the oath of fidelity, paying supply taxes, providing supplies, monetary aid, or serving on a committee made necessary by the war.

The DAR Genealogical Research System

Your ancestors may be recognized in the DAR’s Patriot database, a comprehensive and daily updated record of American Revolutionary War Patriots whose descendants have joined the DAR. Explore this valuable resource to uncover your family’s role in the fight for independence.  

Patriots From Unexpected Places

The NSDAR research guide is an essential resource for prospective and current DAR members with African American, Spanish, Native American, or Jewish ancestry, offering detailed resources and research procedures to trace their Revolutionary War-era heritage. This invaluable tool supports members in documenting their lineage and connecting with their ancestors’ contributions to American history. 

The DAR Library

Discover your family’s past at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., a treasure trove of family histories, birth, marriage, and death records, military rosters, census documents, and more, with a focus on the American Revolutionary War, colonial era, and 19th century. This extensive collection is open to the public at no cost, offering invaluable resources for genealogical and historical research. Contact the Colonel Jonathan Bayard Smith Chapter, NSDAR, to learn how to access these records and uncover your heritage!

Join us!

Do you have an American Patriot in your family tree? If you need some help in navigating the branches of your family tree, contact the chapter registrar.