Tracing your family history begins with you. What do you already know and can document about yourself and your parents? Records such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses are the building blocks of a family tree. Continue to build your family tree by collecting information and documenting the lives of your ancestors.
Traces of your family’s history might be found written inside the cover of an old family bible, listed in a newspaper obituary, carved on a tombstone, portrayed in a photograph, spoken as a story from a relative’s memory, or recorded on an official state document. Locating documentation can require an investment of time, but it is manageable if you know where to look.
Establishing Your Patriot Ancestor
Who served and how did they serve?
Military service is credited to those who served in campaigns against the British between April 19, 1775 and November 26, 1783.
Civil Service is credited to those who conducted public business under the authority of the new federal, state, county, and town governments.
Patriotic service is credited to those who took action to further, or demonstrate loyalty to, the cause of American independence, such as taking the oath of fidelity, paying supply taxes, providing supplies, monetary aid, or serving on a committee made necessary by the war.
The DAR Genealogical Research System
Your family may be listed in the DAR’s database of Patriots from the American Revolutionary War. This database is a composite of Patriots whose descendants have joined the DAR and is updated daily as new applications are verified. Search for Patriot ancestors in the DAR database.
Patriots from unexpected places
For prospective and current members of the DAR whose ancestors were of African American, Spanish, Native American, or Jewish descent, this research guide from NSDAR is invaluable in providing resources and research procedures.
The DAR Library
Your family’s history might be found in the DAR Library, which has many family histories available for research. This collection includes birth, marriage, and death records, military rosters, census documents, and other historical materials.
Located in Washington, D.C., the library focuses on the period of the American Revolutionary War but also includes historical records of the colonial era and the nineteenth century. Library resources are free and available to the public.
Join us!
Do you have an American Patriot in your family tree? If you need some help in navigating the branches of your family tree, contact the chapter registrar by email.