California State Military Department

The California State Military Museum

Preserving California's Military Heritage

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Affilated Museums and Sponsored Websites

Sons of the Revolution Library

By Warrant Officer 1 Mark J. Denger

California Center for Military History

 

Since 1995, the Naval History Unit of the California Center for Military History has had the honor and privilege to operate out of the Sons of the Revolution Headquarters and Library Building in Glendale, California.

The Sons of the Revolution Library & Museum was founded in 1893 as a repository for books and reference materials relating to the American Revolution; early Americana, California and local history. For over 100 years it has been operated and maintained as a service to the public by the Sons of the Revolution in the State of California, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Use of the Library is free to anyone in keeping with the purposes of the Society "to encourage interest in the early history of the United States. . . to perpetuate the memory of the brave men who fought in the Revolutionary War, and to collect and preserve the manuscripts, records and documents relating to our past."

By the turn of the century, the Library's collection consisted of 5,000 volumes. Growth of the collection, through direct acquisition and gifts, has been steady over the past one hundred years, and has included by gift several major private collections, including the Orra Eugene Monnette Collection, donated by the prominent early Californian and co-founder of Bank of America; the Walters Collection, gifted by Arthur J. Waters; the Hobby Collection, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Hobby, III.; the Arden Howell Brame, Jr. II Collection, the Admiral Stuart Low Collection; and the Admiral Howard Fithian Kingman Collection.

The Library, today comprised of over 35,000 volumes, is well known as one of the largest collections relating to the American Revolution and Colonial America in the western United States. An ongoing fund, supplemented by gifts from the community, facilitates an aggressive books and periodicals acquisition program to maintain, broaden and update the collection.

The Library is a very practical research center for those interested in the study of American history, particularly that of the development of Colonial America, the American Revolution, Mexican War, Civil War, and American military history in general.

In addition to a fine collection of books, periodicals and manuscripts, many of which are rare out-of-print first editions, the Sons of the Revolution Library and Museum is blessed with a magnificent collection of artifacts, many of which are on display. These include George Washington's Saddle Pad; a flag reviewed by President George Washington in the First Trade Procession of Boston in 1789; early Naval boarding swords from the War of 1812; a portrait of Gen. John C. Fremont, hero of the Mexican War and one of California's military governors; a pair of fire buckets from Adm. David G. Farragut's flagship, the Hartford; and an autographed copy of "America".

The Sons of the Revolution’s web site also serves as a great historical research tool for anyone wishing to study early American history. Catagories:

Colonial History

Prelude to War

Age of Revolution 1776-1789

War of Independence

A National Government

Rare Maps of Colonial America

California During the Revolution

Discovery of California

California Chronology: 1510-1865

California History

The Declaration of Necessity

Articles of Confederation

Declaration of Independence

Committee of Framers Formed

Drafting of the Declaration of Independence

Jefferson’s Handwritten Draft

The Final Declaration

The Declaration of Independence

Jefferson’s Recollections of the Drafting

A More Perfect Union

Founding Fathers

George Washington

The Papers of George Washington

Recruiting and Maintaining an Army

First Inaugural Address – 1789

Second Inaugural Address – 1793

Washington’s Farewell Address

Washington’s Birthplace National Monument

The Washington Monument

USS George Washington (SSBN-598)

A Biography Lesson

Mount Vernon

John Adams

Thomas Jefferson

Alexander Hamilton

James Madison

James Monroe

The Founding Fathers

Flag History

Colonial Federal Flags

Gostelowe Flags

Colonial Flags

History of the Stars and Stripes

U.S. Flags 1776-1819

U.S. Flags 1820-1860

U.S. Flags 1862-Present

Confederate States of America

Colonial Uniforms

Early Uniforms

Uniforms to 1779

Uniforms of 1780

Armies of the American Revolution

American

British

French

German

Battles

1775

1776

1777

1778

1779

1780

1781

1782-1783

Maps of the Revolutionary War

Battle Statistics

Casualties of the Revolutionary War

1775-1777

1778-1781

Additionally, you can search the online catalog. In addition to its vast historical book holdings on colonial and military history, the Library also serves as a very practical research center for those wishing to trace their lineages as a hobby or as the means of joining hereditary societies such as the Sons of the American Revolution, Daughters of the American Revolution, Society of the War of 1812, Society of Colonial Wars, Colonial Dames, or Society of California Pioneers. This genealogical research facility contains thousands of regional, state, county and local vital records.

The Sons of the Revolution Library and Museum is located a short two blocks from the Glendale Galleria, and its helpful staff are always ready to give advise.

Sons of the Revolution Library and Museum

600 South Central Avenue

Glendale, California 91204-2009

(818)240-1775

Visit: http://www.srcalifornia.com

Library and Museum Hours

Wednesday – Noon to 6:00 p.m.

Thursday thru Saturday – 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Closed Sunday through Tuesday, Saturdays before a Monday holiday, Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the entire month of December.

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