Mistress Margaret Brent Society
Children of the American Revolution
of
Saint Mary's City, Maryland
est 1948
"For God and My Country"
The Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.) is a Society for young people closely following that of the adults groups, the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) which organized the C.A.R.; and Sons of the American Revolution, C.A.R. Members range in age from birth to age 22. Maryland C.A.R. is active, plans fun events for the Children, holds meetings and an annual State Conference.
Mistress Margaret Brent Society, C.A.R. is located in St Mary's County, Maryland and serves a large area. It is sponsored by the Major William Thomas Chapter, D.A.R. The Mistress Margaret Brent Society was organized by the Major William Thomas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in September, 1948. In 1958, the Society had to be disbanded for lack of required membership. However, the possibility of reactivating the Society at a later date using the same name was retained and in 1976, the Society was revived.
There are currently 14 members with several new applications being approved. Being small does not stop the Mistress Margaret Brent Society from being very active in C.A.R. activities. At the recent Maryland State Children of the American Revolution Conference, the Society won numerous awards including the Gold Merit Award.
Margaret Brent 1638-1671
Margaret Brent arrived in the colonies in 1638. She was a master negotiator, an accomplished litigator, and a respected leader. Shortly after settling in St. Mary's Parish, Maryland, Brent amassed some of the largest real estate holdings in the New World, and became the appointed counsel to the governor. She was involved in one hundred and twenty-four court cases in eight years. Margaret Brent broke through all the existing restrictions facing seventeenth-century women. Because the colonists did not quite know what to call such a formidable woman, they frequently addressed her, in person and in court records, as "Gentleman Margaret Brent." In 1648, she formally demanded a vote in the Maryland Assembly which the Governor denied. Over 250 years later, Harper's Magazine noted: "By this action [she] undoubtedly placed herself on record as the first woman in America to make a stand for her sex."