Left to right, ancestors of American Revolutionaries Ashleigh Cornish, Ellie Dunbar and Morgan Meer
Both of Morgan Meer’s parents teach science. Meer, however, picks history books over chemistry sets.
Meer, 14, is one of the more than 50 members of the Parkinson’s Ferry Society, a branch of the Children of the American Revolution.
Children of the American Revolution is a youth organization whose members must be able to trace their lineage back to soldiers in the Continental Army or patriots who gave material aid to the American Revolution. Meer has traced her own lineage back to Noah Gillette, who served at Valley Forge under George Washington.
Some of the more than 40 events the society organized in 2014 included a book and magazine drive, where members collected 650 books and magazines for veterans, and a trip to Washington D.C., to tour memorials and monuments.
Meer’s favorite project in 2014 was volunteering at the Mt. Lebanon Library. The Parkinson’s Ferry Society taught young children about the War of 1812 and the origins of the “Star Spangled Banner.”
[1]“It was cool to see all the little kids so excited about history,” Meer says. “They got really into it.”
Meer’s brother Everett, 12, was president of the society last year, and her mother, Susan Gillette Meer, serves as the senior society president. “Our society is a service organization,” says Susan. “We’re trying to teach these kids to do community service, to care about their community and to be good leaders.”
The society is named after Parkinson’s Ferry, now known as Whiskey Point, a meeting point for Americans after the implementation of the excise tax on distilled spirits. The tax became known as the “whiskey tax,” and it eventually led to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. The spot is located in what is now the town of Monongahela.
Susan jokes that she might still try to persuade Morgan to consider the sciences, but she adds that she is proud of her daughter and the society for their success and what they do for their community.
Morgan, who is a national chair for the Children of the American Revolution, says her favorite part about the society is meeting other history buffs from all over the country.
“You have the opportunity to meet a lot of new people. I’ve met a lot of people from our local society and across the nation,” she says. “It’s really cool that we’re all coming together to learn about history.”