General Society of the War of 1812

The General Society of the War of 1812 is a genealogical society that was founded in 1894 as an umbrella organization for several existing societies for descendants of veterans of the War of 1812. It is not to be confused with the Military Society of the War of 1812.

Origins

"Founded on September 14, 1814, the General Society War of 1812 traces its origins to the huge collection of American militia companies which were called to meet the British thrust at Baltimore following the occupation of the National Capital."^[1]

Many of these separate state organizations came together forty years after the Battle of New Orleans to lobby for land grants and other benefits for the veterans. "On January 9, 1854, (a day after the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans), a group of over 1,500 War of 1812 veterans from across the United States met in convention in Congress Hall in Philadelphia, having responded to a call issued by Joel Barlow Sutherland (1792-1861), an 1812 veteran and former Congressman from Philadelphia. Ostensibly called to draft resolutions pertaining to bounty land benefit legislation, the veterans assembled in Philadelphia acknowledged the need for an organization for mutual support and to perpetuate the history of the War of 1812. From this convention, the Society of the War of 1812 was founded and Sutherland was elected its first President."

Any male person above the age of twenty-one years, who participated in, or who is a lineal descendant of one who served during the War of 1812, in the army, navy, revenue-marine, or privateer service of the United States, offering proof thereof satisfactory to the State Society to which he may make application for membership, and who is of good moral character and reputation, may become a member of this Society when approved of by said State Society, under such regulations as it may make for passing upon applications for membership. Women may apply to the United States Daughters of 1812.

Organization

The General Society is a confederation of highly autonomous State Societies. Some of the state societies have their own webpages:

COLORADO Website: http://www.cosowar1812.org

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Website: http://www.dc1812.wordpress.com

ILLINOIS Website: http://www.1812history.com

INDIANA Website: lineage.gradeless.com/Indiana_1812.htm

IOWA Website: http://www.iowa1812.org

MARYLAND Website: marylandsociety.thewarof1812.info

MASSACHUSETTS Website: http://www.ma1812society.org

MICHIGAN Website: http://www.beaufait.com/mich1812

MINNESOTA Website: http://www.minnesota1812.org

NEW JERSEY Website: nj1812.homestead.com/Home.html

NEW YORK Website: http://www.nys1812.org/

OHIO Website: http://www.firstregiment.com/ohiosociety1812

PENNSYLVANIA Website: http://www.societyofthewarof1812pa.org

TEXAS Website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txsw1812

VERMONT Website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vtsw1812

VIRGINIA Website: http://www.1812va.org

WISCONSIN Website: my.execpc.com/~drg/wi1812.html

Current society

The General Society of the War of 1812 presents awards to Reserve Officers' Training Corps and helps identify and mark the graves of veterans from this war.^[2]

The society is currently active and has an active membership of about 1,500. It was involved in several events marking the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 from 2012 to 2015.

References

↑ General Society War of 1812
↑ "Benjamin Dye Grave Marking". Texas State Society, US Daughters of the War of 1812.

Bibliography

Society of the War of 1812. The Constitution and Register of Membership of the General Society of the War of 1812. Philadelphia: [Published by the Secretary-General, by order of the Society], 1895.
Society of the War of 1812. The Constitution and Register of Membership of the General Society of the War of 1812 to Oct. 1, 1899: Organized September 14, 1814. Re-Organized January 9, 1854. Instituted in Joint Convention at Philadelphia, Pa., April 14, 1894. Philadelphia, Pa: Dewey & Eakins, makers, 1899.
General Society of the War of 1812, and Frederick Ira Ordway. Register of the General Society of the War of 1812. 1972.
Blizzard, Dennis F. The Roster of the General Society of the War of 1812. Mendenhall, Pa: The Society, 1989.
General Society of the War of 1812. General Society of the War of 1812: Triennial Yearbook 1987-90. [Place of publication not identified]: General Society Of The War Of 1812, n.d.
General Society of the War of 1812. General Society of the War of 1812: Organized September 14, 1814. [Place of publication not identified]: The Society, 1908.
Society of the War of 1812. The Charter, Constitution and Rules of the General Society of the War of 1812: With the Register of Membership. Philadelphia: s.n, 1800.
Society of the War of 1812. Society of the War of 1812 in the District of Columbia: Organized April 18, 1896 : Admitted to the General Society June 19, 1896. Washington, D.C.: [publisher not identified], 1934.
Society of the War of 1812 in Virginia. The Constitution and Register of Membership of the General Society of the War of 1812 to October 1, 1899. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Society of the War of 1812, 1899.
Society of the War of 1812. Society of the War of 1812 in the District of Columbia. Washington, D.C.: [publisher not identified], 1900.
Blizzard, Dennis F. Descendants of War of 1812 Veterans: General Society of the War of 1812 : Founders' Register, Commemoration, 1894-1994. Mendenhall, PA: The Society, 1994.
General Society of the War of 1812. 1812 War Cry. Mendenhall, PA: General Society of the War of 1812, 1900.
General Society of the War of 1812. Proceedings of the ... Biennial Meeting Held at. Philadelphia: General Society of the War of 1812, 1800.
Biennial Conference of the General Society of the War of 1812. The 29th Biennial Convention of the General Society of the War of 1812 in Conjunction with the 142nd Annual Defenders Day Dinner of the Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Maryland. [Baltimore, Md.]: [General Society], 1956.
General Society of the War of 1812. Proceedings of the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Biennial Meetings: Held at Baltimore, Maryland September 12, 1928, Weymouth, Massachusetts September 13, 1930, Washington, District of Columbia October 1, 1932, Asbury Park, New Jersey September 22, 1934 and West Point, New York September 26, 1936. Philadelphia: General Society of the War of 1812, 1938.
Society of the General War of 1812. Proceedings of the Tenth Biennial Meeting Held at Baltimore, Sept. 12, 1914. 1914.
Society of the War of 1812 in the State of California, Dennis W. Simpson, and Lee E. Bishop. The 2002 California Yearbook. [Glendale]: Society of the War of 1812 in the State of California, 2002.

External links

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