10/12/2025
On this date in history (10/11), a group of patriotic women took matters into their own hands after being denied membership in the Sons of the American Revolution.
On October 11, 1890, four remarkable women gathered in Washington, D.C. to forge a new path. Their names were Mary Smith Lockwood, Mary Desha, Ellen Hardin Walworth, and Eugenia Washington, a great-grandniece of George Washington himself.
They met at the Strathmore Arms with a singular purpose: to create a lineage society for the female descendants of the patriots who fought for our nation's independence. 🇺🇸
They called their new organization the Daughters of the American Revolution, or DAR. To lead them, they elected a distinguished First Lady, Caroline Scott Harrison, wife of President Benjamin Harrison, as their first President General.
The idea was immediately popular and spread with incredible speed. In just one year, the DAR had 1,300 members. By the turn of the century, that number had swelled to over 30,000.
The DAR quickly began its important work of historic preservation. One of their most significant early projects was the restoration of New York's Fraunces Tavern, where General Washington bid farewell to his officers.
They also focused on education, often providing citizenship manuals and Americanization classes for new immigrants, helping them understand the history and founding principles of our country. 📜
The founding of the DAR created an enduring institution dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education.
