The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution was incorporated on January 17, 1890 in Connecticut and later chartered by an Act of the United States Congress on June 9, l906.  The charter was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was also an early member of the Society.  The charter authorizes the granting of charters to societies of the various states and territories and authorizes the state societies to charter chapters within their borders.

The California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution was instituted October 22nd, 1875.  It was the first body in inception, institution and organization, to unite the descendants of Revolutionary patriots and perpetuate the memory of all those who took part in the American Revolution and maintained the Independence of the United States of America.  It was fully and completely organized on the 4th of July, 1876, under the name of “Sons of Revolutionary Sires.”  On the 30th of April, 1889, a number of similar co-equal Societies of different States formed a general Society under the name of “The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution,” in which movement this Society heartily co-operated and changed its name to The California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, under which latter name it has been since known.  We have used the acronym SAR to identify ourselves for over l00 years.

Our Purpose

The purposes and objects of the SAR are declared to be patriotic, historical, and educational, and include those which are intended or designed to perpetuate the memory of the men who, by their services or sacrifices during the war of the American Revolution, achieved the independence of the American people;

• to unite and promote fellowship among their descendants;
• to inspire them and the community at large with a more profound reverence for the principles of the Government founded by our forefathers;
• to encourage historical research in relation to the American Revolution; to acquire and preserve the records of the individual services of the patriots of the war, as well as documents, relics, and landmarks;
• to mark the scenes of the Revolution by appropriate memorials; to celebrate the anniversaries of the prominent events of the war and of the Revolutionary period; to foster true patriotism;
• to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom, and to carry out the purposes expressed in the preamble to the Constitution of our country and the injunctions of Washington in his farewell address to the American people.

What We Do

We decorate the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers and patriots. We support excellence in teaching of American history. We participate in patriotic observances. We support research and preservation of historic material relating to the men and women who fought or gave service for Independence in the American Revolutionary War. We perpetuate patriotism, courage, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph of the men who achieved the independence of the American people in the belief that these stories are universal ones of man's eternal struggle against tyranny, relevant to all time, and will inspire and strengthen each succeeding generation as it too is called upon to defend our freedoms on the battlefield and in our public institutions.

Membership Requirements

Any man shall be eligible for membership in this Society who: being of the age of eighteen years or over and a citizen of good repute in the community, is the lineal descendant of an ancestor who was at all times unfailing in loyalty to and rendered active service in, the cause of American independence, either as an: officer, soldier, seaman, marine, militiaman or Minuteman, in the armed forces of the Continental Congress, or of any one of the several Colonies or States; or as a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, or as a member of a Committee of Safety or Correspondence; or as a member of any Continental, Provincial, or Colonial Congress or Legislature; or as a recognized patriot who performed actual service by overt acts of resistance to the authority of Great Britain.

The applicant must also be personally acceptable to the Society. Family tradition in regard to the services of an ancestor will not be considered. No preliminary decision will be given on a line of descent, service or evidentiary value of proposed evidence. (When examined with all available evidence, such preliminary decision might prove to be incorrect and the National Society cannot accept responsibility for such a decision.)