Tuscarora Chapter NSDAR

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Tuscarora Chapter NSDAR

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Historic Preservation, Education, Patriotism -
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10/08/2026

Five delegates represented the chapter at New York State DAR Conference near Rochester during the last weekend of September. It was a great opportunity to connect with Daughters from across the state, attend workshops, and exchange ideas.

Our chapter raised $501 for the Junior Membership Committee's Pennies for Pouch contest, which supports the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund and its work providing educational opportunities and assistance to students at DAR-supported schools and classroom grants across the country. Although we didn't bring home the Joey Trophy this year, we're proud of our chapter's contribution to DAR's education mission and thank everyone who donated!

09/24/2026

A few photos from our September meeting, held last Saturday. We welcomed Rosa, who gave an informative program on the naturalization process and becoming a U.S. citizen. We also commemorated the 25th anniversary of September 11, welcomed three new members, collected donations for our October service projects, and kicked off our new Supplemental Series with a mini-workshop on DAR genealogy requirements. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

09/23/2026

When the Constitution took effect, it contained no Bill of Rights. That omission had been one of the strongest objections raised during ratification. James Madison had initially questioned the need for a separate declaration of rights, but the ratification debates helped change his position.

Richard Labunski’s "James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights" follows Madison through the battle for ratification in Virginia, his difficult campaign for a seat in the first Congress, and his effort to turn promises of amendments into reality.

Congress ultimately sent twelve amendments to the states. Ten were ratified in 1791 and became the Bill of Rights. The story reminds us that September 17, 1787, was not the end of the Constitution’s creation. In many ways, it was another beginning.

09/22/2026

The Constitution we revere today was anything but universally admired in 1787.

Federalists argued that the new government was essential to the nation’s survival. Opponents feared centralized power, questioned the Constitution’s protections for individual liberty, and demanded amendments. Ratification conventions became arenas for extraordinary debates about representation, sovereignty, federal power, and the rights of citizens.

Pauline Maier’s "Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787–1788" tells this often-overlooked part of the Constitution’s story. It moves beyond the Philadelphia delegates to the hundreds of Americans who debated whether their states should accept what the Convention had created. Their disagreement was itself an important part of the constitutional process.

09/21/2026

Writing the Constitution was only the beginning. Nine states had to ratify it before the new government could take effect and many Americans were deeply skeptical.

In New York newspapers beginning in October 1787, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published essays under the shared name “Publius.” The 85 essays we now call "The Federalist Papers" defended the proposed Constitution and explained the reasoning behind its system of government.

Today, they remain an important source for understanding the arguments made by the Constitution’s supporters, but they were written for an immediate political purpose: persuading Americans to ratify a controversial new plan of government.

09/20/2026

James Madison is often called the “Father of the Constitution,” but another delegate was largely responsible for the words Americans know best.

Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania served on the Convention’s five-member Committee of Style, which transformed months of resolutions and compromises into a polished final document. Morris shaped much of its wording and organization and composed the Preamble as we know it today. He was also one of the Convention’s most active participants, speaking more often than any other delegate.

Dennis C. Rasmussen’s "The Constitution’s Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America’s Basic Charter" tells the story of this colorful, complicated, and often overlooked Founder and argues for recognizing his important role in creating the Constitution.

09/19/2026

When delegates gathered in Philadelphia in May 1787, there was no guarantee they would succeed.

For nearly four months, delegates wrestled with fundamental questions: How should states be represented? How powerful should the executive be? What powers should belong to the federal government? Their work also produced compromises over slavery that would have profound consequences for the nation's future.

Richard Beeman’s "Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution" takes readers inside the Convention, presenting the framers not as marble statues but as individuals with competing interests, personalities, and visions for the new nation. The Constitution that emerged was neither inevitable nor exactly what any one delegate had envisioned. It was the product of argument, compromise, and difficult choices.

09/18/2026

Winning independence was one thing. Figuring out how thirteen states could govern themselves together was another.

Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government had limited power to raise revenue, regulate commerce, or compel states to carry out its decisions. By the mid-1780s, prominent Americans were increasingly convinced that the young nation needed a stronger framework.

In "The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783–1789," historian Joseph J. Ellis follows four men—George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison—who helped build support for fundamental change. The result was a convention in Philadelphia that ultimately went far beyond revising the Articles and proposed an entirely new Constitution.

09/17/2026

Today marks the beginning of Constitution Week, observed each year from September 17–23. Did you know that we have the Daughters of the American Revolution to thank for this national observance? In 1955, during the administration of President General Gertrude Carraway, DAR petitioned Congress to designate a week each September for the study and celebration of the U.S. Constitution. Congress approved the resolution, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law on August 2, 1956.

Constitution Week encourages Americans to learn about the events that led to the framing of the Constitution, understand its importance to our system of government, and recognize our responsibility to preserve it. This week, we’ll celebrate by sharing six books that bring the people, debates, and ideas behind our Constitution to life.

09/15/2026

At the beginning of August, Tuscarora Chapter hosted our annual DAR-SAR Picnic with the Binghamton Chapter, SAR. Historian Scott Payne presented “Saratoga: Two Battles that Changed the World,” exploring the events and significance of the Saratoga campaign. Following the program, Tuscarora Chapter recognized Scott for his outstanding service in raising public appreciation of the American Revolution. The afternoon offered an opportunity for members of both organizations to gather, share an interest in Revolutionary history, and continue commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.

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Binghamton, NY
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