 | |
| Abbreviation | NSDFPA |
|---|---|
| Established | June 7, 1898 |
| Founders | Eugenia Washington Mrs. Henry V. Boynton Mrs. William L. Mason |
| Type | lineage society |
| Website | nationalsocietydfpa.com |
The National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America (often abbreviated as NSDFPA) is a lineage society for women who directly descend from an American colonist who arrived in the colonies between May 13, 1607, and May 13, 1687, and who directly descend from a patriot of the American Revolution.
The National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America was founded on June 7, 1898, by Eugenia Washington, a great-grandniece of George Washington who previously co-founded the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1890, Mrs. Henry V. Boynton, and Mrs. William L. Mason. [1] [2] She established the lineage society as a means to preserve Colonial American history, foster patriotism, and encourage appreciation for American history. [3] Washington wanted to avoid "bickering" among a large number of members, which she experienced in the Daughters of the American Revolution, and decided that this national society would "remain small and cordial" by excluding membership only to women who were direct descendants of a colonist who arrived in America between May 13, 1607, and May 13, 1687, and that they also meet the membership qualifications for the Daughters of the American Revolution. [3] [4]
Up until 1975, the society published thirty-four volumes of lineage records of its members, which were made availablle at many libraries. [4] In 1975, the national society consolidated all records into one volume and published an index to its lineage records. [4]
Washington intended for the society to not surpass 300 members but, by the 1980s, there were over 2,800 members. [3]