America 250! - Your Chapter Can Rise and Shine!

The mission of "Our Patriots" is to raise the visibility of our Patriot ancestors, create awareness of who they were, enthusiasm for what they accomplished in the founding of our country, and to spark interest in preserving their history and promoting their legacy of service through active association with the Daughters of the American Revolution.

As we approach the 250th Anniversary of Independence Day on July 4th, 2026, our communities should celebrate the men and women who created America. We hope to bring those Patriots and their service to life over the next few years by making them better known in the cities and towns where they lived, and where their descendants live today. It is estimated that over 375,000 soldiers (Continental Army and Militia) served during the war. Our DAR database contains thousands of these proven Patriots. How can your chapter and state be a part of this exciting and inspiring project? If you haven’t already, appoint a chair for this committee to excite and encourage your members in celebrating this momentous anniversary.

The DAR Pathway of the Patriots website was introduced in 2019. This Pathway consists of 250 trees donated by DAR members, chapters, and states, and serves as a living tribute to honor the memory and the spirit of the men and women who achieved American Independence. It was recently announced that the Pathway will be located in or near a Revolutionary War site chosen in collaboration with the American Battlefield Trust.

Biographical sketches are being collected for all 250 Patriots honored with a tree.  Each Patriot has a webpage with biographical information, a link to their GRS page if they have one, and a narrative, written by each donor, describing their lives.  Visit this wonderful website and genealogy tool at honoringourpatriots.dar.org/patriots.

The America 250! website also features videos produced by chapter members in their state that would make great chapter programs! Is there someone in your chapter who could create a video to share with your community?

The committee is identifying ways we can work with existing organizations to reach our objectives.  Find a Grave offers an exciting opportunity for us to collaborate and promote our Patriots’ information. The images and information posted on this website have been contributed by volunteers, and like many other online sources, the data is not always completely accurate. You are encouraged to use this resource for finding information about your family, and to volunteer to help make the information both accurate and available by signing up as a Find a Grave volunteer. Set a chapter goal to have all of your Patriot ancestors’ information added to this site.

Other ways chapters can recognize Patriots is by purchasing newly available items from DAR. Just introduced is a Commendation/Certificate to honor non-member individuals and groups who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts to honor our Revolutionary Patriots and educate our citizens about their service and sacrifice. These are available from the DAR Store for $18.

Another new opportunity for High School students is an essay contest focused on Patriots of the American Revolution through the American History Committee. There are beautiful medals for chapter and state winners of that contest.

A children’s Our Patriots coloring book is for sale from the DAR Store for $10.95. This is a great stocking stuffer of birthday gift!

There is also a Revolutionary War Patriots Historic Marker available through the Historian General’s office. Our President General has asked that at least one of these be placed in each state. Could your chapter, district, or state society place one of these in your area?

The NSDAR Patriot Post is a quarterly publication of the America 250! Committee. It is filled with great ideas and success stories. Share news from your chapter by sending photos and articles to your State Chair. Some ideas that have been featured recently in the Post include Posing-with-a-Patriot photographs, making Patriot Tree Ornaments, honoring female ancestors with Mother’s Day Plants, participating in DAR Book Clubs, and honoring Veterans by creating Fields of Flags.