Hereditary and Lineage Societies: DAR, SAR, Mayflower, and More

Membership in a hereditary or lineage society is one of the few places where genealogy stops being a private hobby and becomes a documented credential. These organizations — the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Sons of the American Revolution, and dozens of others — grant membership exclusively on the basis of proven biological descent from a specific ancestor or class of ancestors. Understanding how they work, what evidence they require, and where their requirements differ is essential for any researcher approaching this corner of genealogical research.

Definition and scope

A hereditary society is a membership organization that restricts admission to individuals who can document descent from a person or group defined by a historical event, era, military service, or social category. The word "hereditary" is the operative one: bloodline, not achievement, is the admission criterion.

The scope is wider than most researchers expect. The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), founded in 1890, is the most recognized — with over 185,000 members across more than 3,000 chapters — but it represents only one category. A partial inventory of the landscape includes:

  1. Revolutionary War societies — DAR and SAR (Sons of the American Revolution), both requiring descent from a patriot who actively supported the American Revolution between 1775 and 1783.
  2. Colonial societies — the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (descent from one of the 102 passengers on the 1620 voyage), the Colonial Dames of America, and the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America.
  3. Military-specific societies — Military Order of the Loyal Legion, the Military Order of the Stars and Bars (Confederate officers), the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
  4. Pre-colonial and Indigenous lineage — the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America, which accepts documented descent from the medieval emperor.
  5. Occupational and civic lineage — the Hereditary Order of the Descendants of Colonial Governors, the National Society of Colonial Dames of the XVII Century.

Each organization publishes its own definition of qualifying ancestors. "Patriot" under DAR guidelines, for example, includes not only soldiers but also civilians who paid a Revolutionary War tax, signed a loyalty oath, or held civil office in support of the cause — a definition available in the DAR Patriot Index.

How it works

The application process is substantially a genealogical proof exercise. The applicant constructs a generational chain — typically called a "lineage" — connecting themselves to the qualifying ancestor, with documentary evidence at each generational link.

The standard required is not trivial. DAR, for instance, requires documentary evidence for every generation: birth, marriage, and death records establishing parentage at each step. The organization's Genealogy Guidelines specify that primary sources (original records created at or near the time of the event) are preferred. Primary versus secondary sources is a distinction that becomes consequential when applications are rejected at the national genealogist's desk.

A completed application typically includes:

The application is reviewed by the national society's staff genealogists, not just a local chapter. Errors in generational connections — wrong parents assigned to a generation, undocumented name changes, conflated individuals with similar names — result in rejection or requests for supplemental proof.

Common scenarios

The "almost there" problem. A researcher documents eight of nine required generations with strong primary evidence, then hits a brick wall at the seventh generation where a female ancestor's maiden name is unknown. Vital records, church records, and probate records become essential resources at exactly this point. Without the maiden-name connection, the lineage cannot be certified.

Multiple qualifying ancestors. An applicant may have more than one line leading to a Revolutionary War patriot. Societies generally allow members to register additional ancestors after initial admission, which is a practical reason to document multiple lines from the start.

Name discrepancies across generations. A great-great-grandmother recorded as "Elizabeth" in an 1850 census and "Betsy" in an 1837 marriage record requires reconciling documentation. DAR genealogists are experienced with nickname conventions, but the reconciliation must appear in the application.

Lineage through male lines only. SAR restricts membership to male-line applicants who are male — meaning the descent itself can pass through females, but the applicant must be male. DAR has no such restriction on the gender of intermediate ancestors. This single structural difference means the same family tree can qualify one sibling for DAR and another for SAR.

Decision boundaries

The key question in any hereditary society application is whether the available evidence meets the organization's proof standard — not merely a researcher's personal confidence level. The Genealogical Proof Standard, as articulated by the Board for Certification of Genealogists, provides a benchmark, though individual societies apply their own internal standards.

Document first, apply second. Submitting an application before the underlying research is solid wastes application fees and generates a rejection record that must be overcome in any resubmission. Thorough research planning and organization before an application is submitted consistently produces better outcomes than rushing documentation to meet a deadline.

DNA evidence alone is insufficient. No major hereditary society accepts DNA results as a substitute for documentary proof of lineage. DNA testing for genealogy can be a powerful tool for disproving false assumptions or identifying new research directions, but a matching DNA segment does not establish a legal or organizational lineage connection in the absence of documentary records.

Society-specific rules matter. The Mayflower Society, for example, requires that the lineage include one of the 102 passengers specifically named in its Silver Books — not simply descent from anyone who arrived in Plymouth Colony before 1623. Researching the correct target ancestor before building a generational chain prevents significant wasted effort.

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