American Revolution

Enjoy the thrill of discovering a Revolutionary War ancestor in your family tree with this guide to the records and research of Revolutionary War ancestors.

If your ancestors were living in America during the American Revolution, it is likely that they participated in the war effort. Learn about the available military records and how to obtain copies.

Have you found a Revolutionary War patriot on your family tree? Here's the scoop on joining a lineage society, including membership requirements and tips for getting your membership approved.

Review of 1776 by David McCullough

Kennedy Hickman explores the history of the early campaigns of the American Revolution, including the opening shots at Lexington & Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Invasion of Canada, and the Capture of Boston.

A free genealogy forum for posting or discussing your Revolutionary War ancestors.

A growing list of soldiers, organized alphabetically, which includes e-mail addresses for contacting the researchers.

These books have been abstracted from Revolutionary War Pension Files on microfilm at the National Archives.  They are indexed here and are available for purchase.

American Memories by the Library of Congress presents 274 documents relating to the work of Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution.

Search the online catalog to the extensive holdings of one of the nation’s premier genealogical research centers.

Explore notable speeches as well as the Declaration of Independence and other documents of the American Revolution in the American Archives collection from Northern Illinois University.

A well-written article full of basic sources for starting Revolutionary War research by Curt B. Witcher.

A list of German troops fighting with the British during the American Revolution. Many were captured or deserted and remained in America.

List of members & their Revolutionary ancestors from the Sons of the Revolution for the state of Illinois.

A list includes battles, occupations, withdrawals, evacuations, and other military actions during the American Revolution, from the American Battlefield Protection Program of the National Park Service.

Explore online documents and records, browse images and learn about other American Revolution records available through the National Archives.

A list of pension claims of New York Revolutionary War soldiers extracted from Congressional reports between 1792 and 1795.

American Revolutionary War Soldiers listed along with contact information for their descendants.

An overview of Bounty Land Grants - what they are, where to locate them, and how they can help you learn more about your Revolutionary War ancestor. By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck.

A great introduction to using a wide variety of military records available for tracing your Revolutionary War ancestors, by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG.

A national lineage society with over 26,000 members in over 470 chapters. Almost l50,000 descendants of men and women Patriots have been admitted since their founding in 1889.

This site provides an interesting historical perspective on the American War for Independence. Actual letters are reproduced in digital form, along with transcriptions.

A short primer to get you started from Juliana Smith.