As General President of the General Society, Sons of the Revolution and a native son of Georgia myself, I welcome you to the Georgia Society’s website. The Sons is an active, patriotic community comprised of individual state and European societies with nearly 5,000 members worldwide. Our members join together in patriotic service and projects of public education, preservation and conservation of the history of the individuals and actions that founded this nation we call The United States of America.
The General Society is dedicated to promoting throughout the United States and in Europe scholarly efforts, patriotic projects, and proper gratitude for the values of the Revolution of 1776. Our efforts seek to inform and inspire all people to the high calling of an informed citizenry and public service, which our ancestors entrusted to us.
The Sons in Georgia, like our other state societies, offers all new members a chance to join a tradition. The Sons’ tradition includes expressing our patriotism in formal events, gathering informally to enjoy friendships and camaraderie, and always striving to educate the public regarding the gratitude we owe to our Founding Fathers and our fallen patriot-ancestors.
No matter where you live, the Sons of the Revolution honors the patriot heroes who signed the Declaration of Independence, joined with the Continental Army, volunteered in their state militias, and by such other acts of resistance to British control that would have accounted for treason had the Revolution been unsuccessful. For freedom and liberty, our patriot ancestors resisted the financial and military intrusion of the British forces, King George III and Parliament, all of whom together sought to control the lives, businesses and property of those living in the Thirteen Colonies.
We welcome your interest in our unique patriotic, genealogical organization; and we invite you to learn more about our General Society and the Georgia Society, with active chapters in Atlanta and Savannah. Any male person of good character and lineal descent from a soldier, sailor, or marine who fought in the Revolutionary War and remained loyal to the Patriot cause is eligible to join. Likewise, any male descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a member of the Continental Congress, or Congressional appointee, may join.
Established in 1876, following the centennial celebrations of the victorious 1776 struggle for independence, the Sons of the Revolution was founded in a groundswell of patriotism that arose across our country. The Society began in the State of New York, founded by John Austin Stevens (1827-1910), whose grandfather was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati. Stevens was ineligible to join the Cincinnati since his father was not his grandfather’s eldest son. The Sons of the Revolution was established to offer membership under less stringent guidelines to a wider array of descendants of Revolutionary War patriots.
The establishment of the New York Society was quickly followed by others. The Georgia Society was founded in 1891. Today, there are twenty-eight state societies forming the General Society, with the potential to form additional state societies at any time.
The members of the various state societies are joined together to celebrate the memory of that man, George Washington (as it has been said oft-times: “…first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen…second to none…”), and those other heroes of the War for Independence and for personal liberty.
We take the high calling of our membership as a present-day, personal duty for education, preservation and conservation of our heritage, and we take that duty very seriously. The Georgia Society supports outreach programs, civic projects such as educational monuments and signage, and conserving artifacts to preserve the memory of our Founding Fathers and the foundational principles of the Revolution.
Please consider joining this society, and thank you for your interest.
R. Mitchell Bush
General President
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GENERAL SOCIETY OF THE SONS OF THE REVOLUTION
412 West Francis Street, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185