The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is pleased to announce a new added feature to its Genealogical Research System (GRS). This new Supporting Documents feature allows users to purchase documents that were submitted with previously verified DAR membership and supplemental applications. These documents may include family bible records, deeds, wills and other various materials used to prove lineage to a patriot of the American Revolution.

“The DAR is committed to making family research materials more readily available to the public,” said DAR President General Lynn Forney Young. “Genealogy is such an exciting passion for so many and these newly added resources will expand accessibility to family history documents.”

The Supporting Documents made available on the GRS may prove to be very helpful to researchers who are looking for a missing piece in their genealogy search.  For example, if a researcher is having difficulties connecting two generations or finding proof of an ancestor’s military service, the needed documents could possibly be included in the supporting documentation submitted for a common ancestor.

The GRS is a free resource provided by the DAR to aid general genealogical research and to assist with the DAR membership process. The GRS is a collection of databases that provide access to the many materials amassed by the DAR since its founding in 1890.

GRS users have long been able to purchase Record Copies (previously verified DAR membership and supplemental applications), which show the lineage going back to the ancestor who contributed to the American Revolution, but before now the documents which were submitted to support the Record Copy were not available for purchase online. Now these supporting documents are available on demand for the user to purchase either in conjunction with a Record Copy or separate from the application with which it is associated.

“The addition of Supporting Documents to the GRS may ease the difficulty of family research in some situations,” said Eric Grundset, Director of the DAR Library. “Previously, you may have needed to search through many resources in various locations to find documents; now you may be able to find them in the GRS.”

These Supporting Documents have been reviewed and indexed by DAR staff genealogists and DAR member volunteers.  More Supporting Documents will become available as more are reviewed. Any documents that have not been thoroughly reviewed will not be available for purchase on the GRS.

Record Copies and Supporting Documents are now part of the DAR Online Library Documents Service. This service allows researchers to select an application or Supporting Documents (if they are available), pay by credit card, and instantly download the document as an Adobe PDF document. It is important to note that any applications or vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce or other sensitive documentation) that are less than 100 years old will not be available in an effort to keep personal information confidential.

How does the DAR Online Library Documents Service work?

1.       Search the DAR Genealogical Research System.  

2.       Where you see a green “Purchase” or “$” button, click on it to add the record to your shopping cart. You may purchase more than one record copy at a time. If a record doesn't have a green button, it is unavailable, pending review.

3.       If supporting documents are also available, an option will appear to add those to your order after you click on the “Purchase” button.

4.       Pay online using Visa or MasterCard via our secure payment system.

5.       Use the link(s) provided on the payment confirmation screen to access and download your document(s). You will also receive an email receipt with the same information.

6.       Download the purchased document(s) to your computer. All files are in an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) and you will need Adobe Reader to view them.

7.       Purchased documents can be downloaded for a period of one week after purchase.

8.       Please note, all record copy and supporting documents fees are non-refundable, and no substitutions will be made.

Researchers now have the ability to purchase Record Copies for $10, Supporting Documents for $20 or both for $30. Before purchasing a Record Copy the user has the ability to preview the document, unfortunately, this feature will not be available for the Supporting Documents. The user will be able to see how many pages are included for the Supporting Documents, but not the exact types of documents it contains.

Researchers will find that access to these Supporting Documents may serve as a useful genealogical research tool and may be used as documentation for a new application or for general genealogy purposes.

Additional information for members and the public to help them learn about this new feature of the DAR Genealogical Research System, can be found here.

For more information about joining the Daughters of the American Revolution, visit www.dar.org/membership.

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The DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS) is a free resource provided by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to aid general genealogical research and to assist with the DAR membership process. The GRS is a collection of databases that provide access to the many materials amassed by the DAR since its founding in 1890. To access the DAR Genealogical Research System, visitwww.dar.org/GRS.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism.  Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. With more than 177,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. Encompassing an entire downtown city block, DAR National Headquarters houses one of the nation’s premier genealogical libraries, one of the foremost collections of pre-industrial American decorative arts, Washington, D.C.’s largest concert hall, and an extensive collection of early American manuscripts and imprints. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.dar.org.