Skip to main content

News Release

DAR Publication Forgotten Patriots Honored with American Society of Genealogists Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The DAR publication, Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War, has been honored with the prestigious Donald Lines Jacobus Award from the American Society of Genealogists (ASG).

The Jacobus Award is presented annually to a model genealogical work published within the last five years, and was established to “to encourage sound scholarship in genealogical writing.” Forgotten Patriots was considered to be such an important publication that the ASG Fellows chose this genealogical resource guide to receive the recognition when, traditionally, the award is typically given to published compiled family genealogies. A complete list of winners can be found on the ASG Web site.

In presenting this award to Forgotten Patriots, ASG notes that the book “will greatly improve the breadth and accuracy of research” and “opens new doors in an increasingly compelling field of genealogy.”

Published in 2008, Forgotten Patriots documents nearly 6,600 names of African Americans and American Indians who contributed to American Independence. The 872-page book includes details of documented service of the listed Patriots, historical commentary, and an extensive bibliography of research sources.

Eric Grundset, DAR Library Director and Editor of Forgotten Patriots, says, “The subject of this book is essential to the work of the DAR to document the history of the role of all individuals in the Revolutionary War and to preserve it for future generations.”

In addition to the Jacobus Award, the DAR publication has also received critical acclaim. A book review in the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Forum states that Forgotten Patriots is a “must-have reference book” and “will enrich the research of every discerning student of genealogy.” The Journal of Southern History states, “This work is an amazing jumping-off point for all kinds of projects on Revolutionary War topics. Any historian, genealogist, or Revolutionary War aficionado cannot go wrong acquiring this huge, well-organized, data-packed volume.”

More information about Forgotten Patriots is available at Forgotten Patriots. To purchase a copy, please visit the DAR Store Online.

###

The DAR Library is one of the largest genealogical research centers in the United States. Since its founding in 1896, the library has grown into a specialized collection of American genealogical and historical manuscripts and publications and recently added powerful on-site ancestry databases to its collection. The DAR Library collection contains over 185,000 books, 300,000 research files, thousands of manuscript items, and special collections on Native American, African American and women’s history, genealogy and culture. Nearly 30,000 family histories and genealogies comprise a major portion of the book collection, many of which are unique or available in only a few libraries in the country. The DAR Library, located at 1776 D St. NW, is open to the public for a $6 research fee Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 pm and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The DAR Library is closed Sundays, Federal holidays, and for one week during the DAR annual meeting during the summer. For more information on the DAR Library, visit www.dar.org/library or call (202) 879-3229.