s 
FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS, 1889-1891. 1529 
Mr. Evarts, from Committee on the Library, submitted a report 
(to accompany S. 3471): 
The Society of the Sons of the American Revolution was organized 
in California, July 4, 1876, on the occasion of the centennial of the 
Declaration of Independence, under the name of ‘“The Sons of Revolu- 
tionary Sires.” On the 30th of April, 1889, the centennial of the inau- 
guration of George Washington as President of the United States, a 
national society was organized in Fraunce’s tavern, New York City, 
in the ‘‘ Long Room,” in which Washington took leave of his officers 
at the close of the Revolution. On this occasion the name of Sons of 
the American Revolution was assumed by the society. At the same 
time the original California Society of Sons of Revolutionary Sires and 
13 other State societies, which had since this organization become 
affiliated with it, changed their own designation to one which corre- 
sponded to that of the national society. Since that time societies 
have been organized in 28 States, and other State organizations are 
being formed, so that it is believed that before the 30th of April of 
the present year, every State, and possibly every Territory, will have 
an organization of his own, while organizations are also being formed 
in France and in the Sandwich Islands. 
The society is purely patriotic in its object, its purposes being the 
following: 
(1) To perpetuate the memory and the spirit of the men who achieved 
American independence, by the encouragement of historical research 
in relation to the Revolution and the publication of its results, the 
preservation of documents and relics and of the records of the indi- 
vidual services of Revolutionary soldiers and patriots, and the promo- 
tion of celebrations of all patriotic anniversaries. 
(2) To carry out the injunction of Washington in his Farewell Address 
to the American people, ‘‘to promote, as an object of primary impor- 
tance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge,” thus devel- 
oping an enlightened public opinion and affording to young and old 
such advantages as shall develop in them the largest capacity for 
performing the duties of American citizens. 
(3) To cherish, maintain, and extend the institutions of American 
freedom, to foster true patriotism and love of country, and to aid in 
securing for mankind all the blessings of liberty. 
The bill is intended to incorporate this society, and is modeled after 
the bill which was introduced during the Fiftieth Congress to incorpo- 
rate the American Historical Association, and which, in addition to 
giving the society its corporate existence, simply provides that it shall 
report its proceedings annually to Congress through the Smithsonian 
Institution, and authorizes the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution 
to permit the association to deposit its collections, manuscripts, books, 
pamphlets, and other material for history in the Smithsonian Institu- 
tion or in the National Museum, in accordance with the provisions of 
the act of incorporation. 
