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The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
was founded on October 11, 1890, during a time that was marked by a revival in
patriotism and intense interest in the beginnings of the United States of
America. Women felt the desire to express their patriotic feelings and were
frustrated by their exclusion from men's organizations formed to perpetuate the
memory of ancestors who fought to make this country free and independent. As a
result, a group of pioneering women in the nation's capital formed their own
organization and the Daughters of the American Revolution has carried the torch
of patriotism ever since.
The objectives laid forth in the first meeting of the DAR
have remained the same in over 100 years of active service to the nation. Those
objectives are: Historical -- to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and
women who achieved American Independence; Educational -- to carry out the
injunction of Washington in his farewell address to the American people, "to
promote, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general
diffusion of knowledge, thus developing an enlightened public opinion";
Patriotic
-- to cherish, maintain, and extend the institutions of American
freedom; to foster true patriotism and love of country, and to aid in securing
for mankind all the blessings of liberty.
Since its founding in 1890, DAR has admitted more than
800,000 members.
DAR
History Highlights:
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DAR
Museum was founded in 1890 as a repository for family treasures. Today, the
museum contains over 30,000 historical relics that form a collective memory of
the decorative and fine arts in America from 1700-1850.
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The
DAR Library was founded in 1896 as a collection of genealogical and historical
publications for the use of staff genealogists verifying application papers
for the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Shortly after
1900 the growing collection was opened to the public and has remained so ever
since.
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The
U.S. Army appointed DAR member, Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee, as Acting Assistant
Surgeon, U.S. Army, in charge of nurses. She organized the DAR Hospital Corps,
Army Nurse Corps, and served as NSDAR's first Librarian General.
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The DAR Hospital
Corps certified 1,081 nurses for service during the
Spanish-American War. DAR
later funded pensions for many of these nurses who did not qualify for
government pensions.
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During the Spanish-American War, DAR purchased a ship's tender for the USS
Missouri to be used as a hospital launch for transporting the wounded from
shore to ship.
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To
help with the war effort during World War I, DAR loaned its National
Headquarters land to the United States. The federal government used the land
to erect a temporary war office building that provided office space for 600
people.
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After
World War I, DAR funded the reconstruction of the water system in the village
of Tilloloy, France, and donated more than $130,000 for the support of 3,600
French war orphans.
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DAR
provided materials for sewing, wood, and leatherwork to the immigrants
detained for processing on Ellis Island. This helped to alleviate the
depression and anxiety of these men and women who were strangers in a new
land.
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In
1921, DAR compiled and published the "DAR Manual for Citizenship." DAR
distributed this guide to American immigrants at Ellis Island and other ports
of entry. To date, more than 10 million manuals have been distributed.
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From
November 1921 until February 1922, world leaders met in DAR Memorial
Continental Hall for the Conference on Limitation of Armaments, a
groundbreaking meeting for peace.
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The
Americana Collection, founded in the early 1940s, brought together rare
manuscripts and imprints previously scattered among the holdings of the DAR
Museum and DAR Library. Today, the collection flourishes from more than 60
years of actively seeking out and acquiring artifacts that reflect a unique
image of our nation.
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DAR
raised thousands of dollars to assist in the re-forestation project of the
U.S. Forestry Service during the 1940s.
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During World War II, DAR provided 197,000 soldiers with care packages and
sponsored all 89 crews of Landing Craft Infantry ships.
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During World War II, the use of the DAR buildings was given to the American
Red Cross. A children's day nursery was set up in the basement of Constitution
Hall for enlisted men's wives who had to go to work.
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The
tradition of celebrating the Constitution was started many years ago by the
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 1955, the DAR petitioned
Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the
observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S.
Congress and signed into Public Law #915 on August 2, 1956, by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington,
D.C., is a volunteer women's service organization dedicated to promoting
patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through
better education for children.
DAR members volunteer more than 55,000 hours annually to
veteran patients, award over $150,000 in scholarships and financial aid each
year to students, and support schools for the underprivileged with annual
donations exceeding one million dollars.
As one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the
country, DAR boasts almost 170,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the United States
and internationally. Any woman 18 years or older-regardless of race, religion,
or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American
Revolution, is eligible for membership.
Encompassing an entire downtown city
block, DAR Natio nal
Headquarters houses one of the nation's premier genealogical libraries, one of
the foremost collections of pre-industrial American decorative arts,
Washington's largest concert hall, and an extensive collection of early American
manuscripts and imprints. |
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