PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES (11L. patrioticus, from Gk. rarpewroolc, patriOtihos, relating to descent or to a fellow-countryman, from pairiois, fellow-countryman, from rarpia, patria, race, country, from 7ariip, pater, father). Societies having as their objects the preserva tion of the records of important events in his tory, and especially of the wars in which the United States has participated; the encourage ment of love of country; the saving and restora tion of historical sites and objects; the celebra tion of anniversaries of historic events; and the fostering of fraternal feeling and intercourse among veterans.
Of the colonial period, the first of the heredi tary patriotic bodies is the Society of the May flower Descendants. (See MAYFLOWER DE SCENDANTS, SOCIETY OF.) The Society of Colo nial Wars admits to membership adult male descendants of Colonial ancestors of distinction. (See COLONIAL WARS, SOCIETY OF.) Similar to the foregoing is the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America. Besides colonial ancestry, it requires that its members shall be descended from ancestors who were loyal to the colonies during the War of the Revolution. (See FOUNDERS AND PATRIOTS OF AMERICA, ORDER OF.) Of like character is the Settlers and De fenders of America (q.v.), which admits both men and women. The first patriotic hereditary society of women to he organized was the Society of Colonial Dames of America. It admits on invitation women who are directly descended from some ancestor of worthy life who resided in an American colony before 1776. (See COLONIAL DAMES OF _VMERICA, SOCIETY OF.) Broader in its scope is the National Society of Colonial Dames of America. It admits on invitation women who are descended from an ancestor of worthy life who resided in an American colony prior to 1750. (Sec COLONIAL DAMES OF AMER ICA, NATIONAL SOCIETY OF.) The Society of Daughters and Patriots of America admits to membership by invitation women who are de scended in the direct paternal line of either father or mother from an ancestor who settled in the colonies before 1687. and of an ancestor in the same line who was loyal to the colonies during the War of the Revolution. In New York City there is the Holland Society (q.v.), which admits to membership male descendants in the direct male line of a man of Dutch blood resident in America before 1675.
Commemorating the period of the great strug gle between the colonies and (treat Britain are a number of hereditary societies, of which the oldest and best known is the Society of the Cin cinnati (q.v.), which admits to membership de scendants of officers who served in the Continen tal Army for at least three years. Following the centennial celebration of the battle of Lex ington, there was organized in San Francisco, Cal., on Gctober 22, 1575, the Sons of Revolu tionary Sires, which. on April 30, 1889, became
the Society of the Sons of the American Revo lution. (See SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLU TION. SOCIETY OF THE.) The Society of the Sons of the Revolution has priority over the previous ly mentioned society in the Eastern States, and has almost identical reqnirements, for it admits to membership lineal descendants of participants in the War of the Revolution. (See SONS OF THE REVOLUTION.) Similarly the Naval Order of the United States (q.v.) admits to mem bership any officer, or descendant of one, who served in the naval forces of the United States during the War of the Revolution or any of the subsequent wars. Enlisted men who have received the naval medal of honor are also eligible to membership. One of the most dis tinguished among the patriotic societies is the Military Order of Foreign Wars, which admits to membership commissioned officers who par ticipated in the foreign wars of the United States, and their direct lineal descendants in the male line. See FOREIGN WARS, MILITARY ORDER OF.
Originally the Sons of the American Revolu tion' admitted to membership women, hut, this being found unsatisfactory, special organizations were instituted for women, the first of which was the Society of the Daughters of the Ameri can Revolution, which admits any woman of acceptable character descended from an ancestor who rendered material aid to the cause of inde pendence. (See DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN 11EVOLUTION, SOCIETY OF.) Of similar nature is the Daughters of the Revolution (q.v.). Other societies are the Daughters of the Cincinnati, organized in New York City in 189-t, and the Dames of the Revolution, organized in New York City in 1896. The Society of the Children of the American Revolution, with a membership of over 5000, was organized in Washington in 1895.
Of the period subsequent to the War of the Revolution and prior to the Civil War, there are comparatively few associations that are both patriotic and hereditary, although worthy of mention of that character is the Saint Nicholas Society of New York. organized in New York City on February 25, 1335. This society admits natives or residents of New York State who are descended from residents of the State prior to 1785. The American Order of Louisiana was organized in Denver. Colo., on December 20, 1901, and admits to membership descendants of those who rendered distinguished services in the settlement and civilization of the Louisiana Pur chase States, from 1803 to 1903. The War of 1812 is commemorated by the Veteran Corps of Artillery. (See WAR OF 1512, MILITARY CIETY OF THE, by which name it has been known since 1892.1 The General Society of the War of 1512 admits to membership any male person who is lineally descended from a participant in the War of 1312. (See WAR OF 1512, (:ENERAL