National Society of the Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century

The National Society of The Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century (NSCDSC) is a hereditary lineage society dedicated to preserving the memory, history, and legacy of the men and women who lived and worked in America during the 1600s, the formative century of colonial settlement. By honoring descendants of those early colonists, the Society focuses on the foundations of American society long before the Revolutionary era.

Formation of the Society

The National Society of The Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century was founded in 1896, during a period when interest in genealogy, colonial history, and lineage societies was rapidly expanding across the United States. While many organizations of the era focused on Revolutionary service, the founders of NSCDSC recognized that America’s identity was shaped much earlier, by settlers who established communities, governments, churches, and economies during the 17th century.

The Society was organized by women who sought to honor their ancestors who lived in the American colonies between 1607 and 1700, regardless of later political affiliation or military service. Their goal was to preserve early colonial history at a time when documentation was becoming more fragile and family traditions risked being lost.

The Society was incorporated as a national hereditary and historical organization, with chapters (known as “courts”) established across the United States.

Historical Focus: The Seventeenth Century

The 17th century was a period of exploration, settlement, and survival. The ancestors honored by the Society lived during an era that included:

The founding of Jamestowne (1607)
The establishment of Plymouth Colony (1620)
The growth of Massachusetts Bay, Virginia, Maryland, New Netherland, and Carolina
Early colonial governance, trade, and religious institutions
Relations with Indigenous peoples and other European powers

The Society recognizes that these early colonists laid the groundwork for American law, culture, religion, agriculture, and commerce—long before independence was contemplated.

Mission and Purpose

The mission of the National Society of The Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century is to:

Honor the memory of seventeenth-century colonists and preserve their stories
Encourage genealogical research into early American families
Promote education about colonial history and daily life in the 1600s
Preserve historical records and artifacts related to the colonial period
Foster fellowship among women descended from early American settlers

The Society emphasizes historical accuracy and documentation, ensuring that lineage applications are supported by reliable primary and secondary sources.

Membership

Membership in NSCDSC is open to women who can prove lineal descent from an ancestor who resided in the American colonies between 1607 and 1700.

Qualifying ancestors may include:

Landowners and farmers
Merchants and traders
Colonial officials and magistrates
Clergy and church members
Skilled artisans and craftsmen

Applicants must submit a documented genealogy reviewed by the Society’s registrar, typically using records such as:

Vital records (birth, marriage, death)
Church registers
Probate and land records
Published genealogies and colonial histories

Legacy and Historical Importance

The National Society of The Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century occupies a distinctive place among American lineage societies by focusing on a period often overshadowed by the Revolutionary era. Its members preserve the stories of individuals who endured hardship, uncertainty, and isolation to establish permanent European settlements in North America.

By recognizing these early colonists, the Society underscores an essential truth: American history did not begin in 1776, but in the daily lives, labor, faith, and perseverance of 17th-century families.

Conclusion

For more than a century, the National Society of The Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century has honored the courage and endurance of America’s earliest settlers. Through genealogical scholarship, education, and preservation, the Society ensures that the men and women of the 1600s—who laid the foundations of American society—are remembered and respected.

By preserving this early chapter of the American story, the Society affirms that the nation’s roots lie not only in revolution, but in settlement, survival, and community building across the 17th century.