Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty: The Grand Army of the Republic

Founded in 1866, the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was a fraternal organization for Union veterans with the principles of Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty. The G.A.R. allowed veterans to maintain ties with their brothers in arms. Besides a sense of camaraderie, the G.A.R. was one of the first advocacy groups in American politics, fighting for veterans’ rights and Republican causes. They remembered the fallen by laying flowers on their graves and holding military ceremonies. With the death of its last member, the G.A.R. ended in 1956.