WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2025 — As celebrations begin to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the 190,000 members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are uniquely poised to share their personal connections to Revolutionary War Patriots. Members in chapters nationwide are planning a myriad of service projects and other endeavors to commemorate the anniversary and further the organization’s mission of promoting historic preservation, education, and patriotism, through service in their communities.

Enhancing the excitement around the country’s 250th anniversary is the premiere of the much-anticipated PBS documentary, The American Revolution. The six-part series directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, follows hundreds of characters through the eight years of the Revolutionary War and will premiere on PBS stations nationwide from Nov. 16 to 21. DAR is sponsoring the documentary in numerous PBS markets nationwide which will include a short video spot that will show at the open and close of each episode in those local markets.

The documentary is especially poignant for DAR members who descend from Revolutionary War Patriots like those highlighted in the series. The DAR organization was founded in 1890 by and for women who could trace their lineage back to individuals who contributed to securing our nation’s independence. Over the past 135 years, more than a million DAR members have been committed to preserving the memory and spirit of the ordinary people who accomplished the extraordinary during the American Revolution. Today, DAR members continue to keep alive those Revolutionary stories of service and sacrifice.

“Our organization’s primary focus on the history of the Revolutionary War offers our DAR members an opportunity to expand on the stories highlighted in The American Revolutiondocumentary,” said DAR President General Ginnie Sebastian Storage. “DAR members have uncovered their own personal connections to Revolutionary War Patriots and we are excited that this documentary is focusing the national spotlight on the origin story of our country. We hope this inspires people to explore their own family history using DAR’s free genealogy resources.”

Other cornerstone national DAR America 250 initiatives include:

• The announcement of a $25,000 DAR scholarship to be awarded in 2026 to 10 college students studying American history
• The American Revolution Experience traveling exhibitcrisscrossing the country in more than 150 venues and over 45,000 visitors, its tour just extended through the end of 2027
• A history symposium highlighting Spain and the Birth of American Democracy
• The DAR Museum exhibit, “Fighting for Freedom: Black Craftspeople and the Pursuit of Independence,” on view in Washington, D.C., through December 2025 then traveling across the country through the end of 2028
• A transformative $2 million gift to the nation for the Trust for the National Mall’s Cherry Tree Endowment, to ensure the iconic cherry blossoms in the nation’s capital endure and bloom for generations to come

Across the nation, many hundreds of other local America 250 celebrations will be carried out by DAR’s approximately 3,000 chapters. These events are highlighted on the America 250! Nationwide Event Calendar and will take place throughout the next year and beyond. Events include but are not limited to special Revolutionary War and Independence Day community ceremonies and celebrations, genealogy workshops, Revolutionary War trivia nights, cleaning gravestones and cemetery renewal work, offering local history programs and author talks, and hosting viewing parties for the PBS documentary series The American Revolution.

DAR members, inspired by the spirit of their Patriot ancestors, serve their communities and share the stories of their Patriots to keep their memory alive. Members of the public wanting to explore ways to uncover their own family connection to a Revolutionary War Patriot, or learn more about DAR membership, may reach out to a local DAR chapter or visit www.dar.org/DiscoverYourFamilyStory.