250 by 250:
Founding Females Initiative

Launched in the fall of 2022, the Founding Females Initiative of the NSCDA will show its support for the 250th anniversary of our country and the “America 250” celebrations by having 250 Female Qualifying Ancestors on our national Register of Ancestors by July 4, 2026. This will enable the NSCDA to recognize the myriad and critical ways women served our country and contributed to the foundation of our nation.

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The NSCDA has more than 10,000 qualifying ancestors from whom its members claim descent. This project will help rectify the incorrect assumption that women were not an integral part of the founding of our nation. They were! The key to this project was to “rethink” our notions of “colonial service.”

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As of January of 2025, the NSCDA/PA has added 61 women total to the PA list of qualifying ancestors.

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Rethinking Colonial Service

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Why should the NSCDA/PA “rethink” Colonial Service? At its basic core, each Colonial Society of the NSCDA has a set of eligibility characteristics they believe make an ancestor “worthy” to be included on our National Register. These characteristics are based on our understanding of British American Colonial history. And until quite recently, these characteristics have been represented by a list of “men who worked there.” The NSCDA/PA started to dig a bit deeper into what we thought we understood about Colonial Service. Not to change facts. But to excavate unknown stories. To move forward, however, it is useful to look back, especially to think about the prevailing thoughts and beliefs which helped to form the original parameters of our qualifying NSCDA ancestors. The founding Dames—in 1891—determined positions of importance classified as “service to the colonies” such as Historic Founders, Provincial Officers, Judiciary, and Committee Members as the basis for our Register of Ancestors. These services had to be rendered to the colony before July 5, 1776.

 

But what has changed in the intervening century since our Founders made these decisions? What do we understand about colonial life today that the founding Dames did not? The board of the NSCDA/PA has worked to expand the PA eligibility list with a focus towards greater inclusion of non-traditional ancestors, especially women. We have taught ourselves about the English law that kept women’s contributions hidden from view, along with learning the most current scholarship which helps us reevaluate what we thought we knew. Admittedly, identifying non-traditional ROA candidates and locating proper proof-of-service documentation is a different process from the “men who worked there.” Yet, it’s extremely rewarding to discover how incredibly interesting our history is when we present a much fuller narrative.

 

Many of us have come to embrace the belief that “service” isn’t something cut in stone, but rather it’s a living, breathing thing that should be updated as we discover more about our history.