Find your ancestors in United States, Revolutionary War, Pensions

Uncover fascinating new details about your ancestors who served during the American Revolution. Learn more about where they served and what they experienced, information that will enrich your family history research.

What can these records tell me?

There are more than 90,000 records in this collection and each represents an American who was granted a pension for service during the American Revolution. While the information for each person may vary, United States, Revolutionary War, Pensions usually provides:

  • First and last name
  • Service number
  • Rank
  • Service state
  • Spouse’s name
  • Discover more about United States, Revolutionary War, Pensions

    The records in this collection date from the early 19th century when the United States began issuing pensions to military veterans from various early conflicts. While most of the pensions are for veterans of the American War of Independence or Revolutionary War and their families, some pension applications for veterans of the Barbary wars and Indian wars are also included. Each pension record includes a transcript along with images of the documents submitted to the government to prove military service.

    Explore these records and find out new details that you can use to enrich your family history and continue your research. You may be able to use the details you discover to find your relatives in our other collections, including the federal censuses and state vital records.