About Our Chapter

The General William Smallwood Chapter of the Maryland Society, Sons of the American Revolution, was formed by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) in 1968 and serves Montgomery County, Maryland.

The Sons of the American Revolution is an historical, educational, and patriotic non-profit, United States 501(c)3, corporation that seeks to maintain and extend:

  • The institutions of American freedom
  • An appreciation for true patriotism
  • A respect for our national symbols
  • The value of American citizenship
  • The unifying force of e pluribus unum that has created, from the people
    of many nations, one nation and one people.
We do this by perpetuating the stories of patriotism, courage, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph of the men who achieved the independence of the American people in the belief that these stories are universal ones of man's eternal struggle against tyranny, relevant to all time, and will inspire and strengthen each succeeding generation as it too is called upon to defend our freedoms on the battlefield and in our public institutions." Quoted from the NSSAR website.

The Chapter was named for Major General William Smallwood (1722-1792), the highest ranking Marylander in the War of Independence. Upon his death, the Maryland Gazette left the following eulogy, "Prominent as a soldier, wise and dedicated as a statesman, inflexible as a patriot, he uniformly distinguished himself in the Cabinet and the field and through various vicissitudes of a long and doubtful war, maintained and possessed the confidence and applause of his country."