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GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES

• Sons of the Revolution: Any male person of good character, and lineal descendant of one who, as a military, naval or marine officer, soldier, sailor, or marine, in actual service, under the authority of any of the thirteen Colonies or States or of the Continental Congress, and remaining always loyal to such authority, or a lineal descendant of one who signed the Declaration of Independence, or of one who, as a member of the Continental Congress, or of the Congress of any of the Colonies or States, or as an official appointed by or under the authority of any such legislative bodies, actually assisted in the establishment of American Independence by services rendered during the War of the Revolution, becoming thereby liable to conviction of treason against the Government of Great Britain, but remaining always loyal to the authority of the Colonies or States, or, who served honorably in a military or naval expedition against the British during the War of the Revolution under the authority of the French or Spanish Governments shall be eligible to membership in the Society. Both Senior and Junior (the latter under the age of eighteen years) memberships are available.
  
  See website for further provisos.
  
  
• Sons of the American Revolution: Any man shall be eligible for membership in this Society who, being of the age of eighteen years or over and a citizen of good repute in the community, is the lineal descendant of an ancestor who was at all times unfailing in loyalty to, and rendered active service in the cause of American independence, either as an officer, soldier, seaman, marine, militiaman, or Minuteman in the armed forces of the Continental Congress of any one of the several Colonies or States; or as a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, or as a member of a Committee of Safety or Correspondence; or as a member of any Continental, Provincial, or Colonial Congress or Legislature; or as a recognized patriot who performed actual service by overt acts of resistance to the authority of Great Britain. The applicant must also be personally acceptable to the Society.
  
  
• Daughters of the American Revolution: Any woman is eligible for membership who is no less than eighteen years of age and can prove lineal, blood line descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence. The National Society reserves the right to determine the acceptability of all service and proof thereof. The National Society accepts service, with some exceptions, for the period between 19 April 1775 (Battle of Lexington) and 26 November 1783 (withdrawal of British Troops from New York) as follows: Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Military Service, certain types of Civil Service (under authority of Provisional or new State Governments), and certain types of Patriotic Service. Admission to membership in the NSDAR is either by invitation through a state chapter or unit overseas.
  
  
• General Society of Colonial Wars: Any male above the age of eighteen years, of good moral character and reputation, shall be eligible to membership in the Society of Colonial Wars, provided he be lineally descended in the male or female line from an ancestor:
  1. Who served as a military or naval officer, or as a soldier, sailor, or marine, or as a privateers man, under authority of any of the Colonies which afterward formed the United States, or in the forces of Great Britain which participated with those of the said Colonies in any wars in which the said Colonies were engaged, or in which they enrolled men, during the period from the settlement of Jamestown, May 13, 1607, to the battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775; or
  2. Who held office in any of the Colonies between the dates above mentioned, as
     • Director General, Vice Director General, or member of the Council, or legislative body, in the Colony of the New Netherlands;
     • Governor, Lieutenant or Deputy Governor, Lord Proprietor, member of the King's or Governor's Council, or of the legislative body, in the Colony of New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, or Delaware;
     • Lord Proprietor, Governor, Deputy Governor, or member of the Council, or of the legislative body in Maryland, the Carolinas, or Georgia;
     • Governor, Deputy Governor, Governor's Assistant, or Commissioner to the United Colonies of New England, or member of the Council, body of Assistants, or legislative body, in any of the New England Colonies.
     • Justice, Judge, Justice of the Peace or other judicial officer.
       
       
• National Society Daughters of the American Colonists : Any woman who is a citizen of the United States of America, is of good moral character, and has attained her eighteenth year, shall be eligible to membership, provided that she shall be acceptable to the Society and shall be the lineal descendant of an ancestor who rendered civil or military service in any of the colonies prior to July 4, 1776. Legal adoption shall not qualify for lineal descent. Furthermore, the ancestors' services must pertain to one of the thirteen original colonies which joined to form the United States of America.
  
  
• National Society Sons of Colonial New England: Membership is open to any man of the age of eighteen years or more who can prove direct descent from a person who was born in one of the six New England colonies prior to July 4, 1776. The New England colonies are Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
  
  
• Order of First Families of Connecticut: Men and women over the age of eighteen years, who are lineal descendants of men and women, who, between the years 1633 and 1662, resided anywhere within the bounds of the present-day state of Connecticut may be eligible for membership. The fact that the land on which they lived was formerly claimed by another jurisdiction is immaterial.
  
  

GENERAL GENEALOGICAL SITES

• New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS): the oldest genealogical society in the country. Early New England genealogical history is the font of the bulk of Presidential ancestry.
  
  
• Hereditary Society Community: a compendium of hereditary societies in the United States, and a useful networking hub for enthusiasts. Includes contact information for dozens of societies, and links to those that have Web sites.
  
  
• RootsWeb.com: the oldest and largest free genealogy Web site.
  
  
• Genealogy.com, Ancestry.com: powerful subscriber-based genealogy sites, with access to many published works and historical databases.