SAR Mission & Goals

The Objects of this Society are declared to be patriotic, historical, and educational; to unite and promote fellowship among the descendants of those who sacrificed to achieve the independence of the American people, to inspire them and the community-at-large with a more profound reverence for the principles of the government founded by our forefathers; to foster true patriotism; to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom. 

Patriotic Goals

  • The SAR inspires the community with the principles on which our nation was founded.
    • Many chapters and state-level societies have color guards that wear Revolutionary War uniforms and participate in civic and patriotic events and observances such as the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day, Flag Day, Patriots Day, Bill of Rights Day, Yorktown Day, Constitution Day, and important battles of the Revolutionary War.
    • Each year the SAR National Congress passes resolutions to stimulate personal and national action based on these principles.
  • The SAR maintains and extends the institutions of American freedom. In 1994, the SAR formed a Task Force to Preserve U.S. History to help focus public attention on profound problems in some proposed national standards for teaching pre-college U.S. history.
  • The SAR carries out the promises expressed in the Preamble to the Constitution.
  • The SAR provides recognition for public service. The state-level societies and chapters of the SAR present thousands of awards each year to law enforcement officers, public safety officers, and other citizens who exemplify the best civic traditions of our nation. This includes young men and women who are leaders in our communities: high-ranking high school students of history, Eagle Scouts, JROTC and ROTC cadets, and midshipmen.

The SAR honors, respects, and supports veterans, especially those confined to residential and hospital facilities provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Historical Goals

  • The SAR commemorates and provides memorials for the people and events of the American Revolution.
  • The SAR preserves records relating to the events leading up to and during the American Revolution.
    • The SAR was a major force behind the construction of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and the collection of historic documents therein.
  • The SAR supports genealogical research and presentations (books, articles, and presentations) related to the history and people of the period from 1750 until 1800.
    • The national SAR Magazine publishes authoritative descriptions of historical events in a quality magazine of archival value.
    • The SAR Revolutionary War Graves Committee published information on some 54,000 grave sites of patriots in the SAR Revolutionary War Graves Register, published in 1993. More names have been collected and the entire 140,000 names and locations have now been published.
  • The Patriot Index Committee is publishing information on 732,000 patriots and their descendants.

Educational Goals

  • The SAR sponsors youth awards programs, including essay and oration contests for students, based on historical and patriotic themes.
  • The SAR distributes history curriculum and educational media resources across the country.
  • The SAR informs the community about the events and philosophical bases of the American Revolution and the Constitution. Important events and persons of the Revolutionary period are portrayed for students and the public at large.
  • The SAR helps people locate and evaluate genealogical records. The SAR’s state-level society and chapter registrars have excellent resources and the SAR Genealogical Research Library is a major national repository of genealogical information.