The General Society of the War of 1812 is an American

non-profit corporation A nonprofit corporation is any legal entity which has been Incorporation (business), incorporated under the law of its jurisdiction for purposes other than making profits for its owners or shareholders. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, a ...

and

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

of male descendants of American

veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. The General Society was founded on January 9, 1854, at the

Congress Hall Congress Hall, located in Philadelphia at the intersection of Chestnut and 6th Streets, served as the seat of the United States Congress from December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol of the United State ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

by Joel B. Sutherland.

Eligibility

Membership is open to any male above the age of 18 who is a lineal descendant of one who served, in the army, navy, revenue-marine, or privateer service of the United States, during the War of 1812. Females above the age of 18 who qualify may apply to the United States Daughters of 1812.

History

On January 9, 1854 (a day after the anniversary of the

Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the French ...

), a group of over 1,500 War of 1812 veterans from across the United States met in convention at the

, having responded to a call issued by Joel B. Sutherland (1792–1861), a War of 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. The Society met again in convention a year later in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where they were received by President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

and lobbied members of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

to secure the bounty land legislation, which was passed later in 1855. Sutherland's goal was to form a division of the Society of the War of 1812 in each state in the

union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

. His vision for the organization was not completed at the time of his death in 1861. Shortly thereafter, the General Society of the War of 1812 began accepting sons and grandsons of Veteran members. The General Society of the War of 1812 is listed as an approved lineage society with the

Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America The Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America ("HSC") is a non-profit organization, founded in 2002, which conveys the public interface for over 300 lineage societies. HSC's primary mission is to facilitate and increase the comm ...

Notable members

*Major General

Adolphus Greely Adolphus Washington Greely (March 27, 1844 – October 20, 1935) was a United States Army officer and polar explorer. He attained the rank of Major general (United States), major general and was a recipient of the Medal of Honor. A native o ...

*Major General

Theodore S. Peck Theodore Safford Peck (March 22, 1843 – March 15, 1918) was an American Civil War veteran who received the Medal of Honor. He also attained the rank of major general (United States), major general as Adjutant General#United States, Adjutant Ge ...

, VTNG - Adjutant General of Vermont *Major General

Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was an American military commander and politician. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and then a general in ...

*President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

*Major General

John R. Brooke John Rutter Brooke (July 21, 1838 – September 5, 1926) was one of the last surviving Union generals of the American Civil War when he died at the age of 88. Early life Brooke was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and was educated in nearby Coll ...

*Brigadier General Charles Wheaton Abbot, Jr. *Major General John Cadwalader *Rear Admiral

John D. Ford Rear Admiral John Donaldson Ford (19 May 1840 – 17 April 1918) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War. Biography Ford, who was born in Baltimore, Maryland, entered the Navy as t ...

References

* Society of the War of 1812. The Constitution and Register of Membership of the General Society of the War of 1812. Philadelphia: ublished 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.

lace of publication not identified Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread (yarn), thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, suc ...

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.

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.: ublisher 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.: ublisher 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. altimore, Md. eneral 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. lendale Society of the War of 1812 in the State of California, 2002.

External links

; Official * *
Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America
; General information
General Society of the War of 1812
at

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* {{Authority control 501(c)(3) organizations 1854 establishments in Pennsylvania Aftermath of the War of 1812 in the United States Charities based in the United States Service organizations based in the United States Lineage societies Lobbying organizations in the United States Men's organizations in the United States Nonpartisan organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in the United States Organizations established in 1854 Patriotic societies

Eligibility

History

Notable members

See also

References

Further reading

External links