Finding your Revolutionary Patriot of color is a daunting task. Mostly because History isn’t very pretty when the term ‘of color’ is involved. None the less, there were many patriots from many races that helped create this nation and they all have individual stories that are part of our greater collective story.
I’ve leaned on the Daughters of the American Revolution’s knowledge to create this handy guide to help.
DAR and Revolutionary Patriots of Color
Daughters of the American Revolution is one of the oldest patriotic organization in the United States and you know what? It doesn’t ask its members what ethnicity they are. Being a patriotic American is something that isn’t race dependent. Never has been.
It has to do with your heart. And we all have one of those. 🙂
What is a Patriot Ancestor
Regardless if a Revolutionary Patriot is of Color, DAR classifies patriots in three categories.
Military service is credited to those who served in campaigns agains 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 American government.
Patriotic service is credited to those who took other action further or demonstrate loyalty to the cause of American Independence.
This is always interesting to me. I’ve heard some fascinating stories in this last realm!!
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Delicate Situation
Let’s just say it. When researching for a Revolutionary Patriot of Color, you’re more than likely going to uncover something uncomfortable. As already noted, American History hasn’t been kind to many races.
We’ve uncovered cringeworthy stories as in This Family, we have ancestors from a variety of ethnicities, Native American among them.
But it doesn’t change what happened. And in our best estimation, the more you learn, the more you gain an understanding of your family, the personalities, and the choices that have prevailed.
It might bring some tears, but it might also bring some clarity and some solace.
All that said… let’s look at the three groups of Revolutionary Patriot of Color that had a very active (but very forgotten) role in the American Revolution.
Native Americans in the American Revolution
In the 1700’s Native peoples faced numerous threats on their way of life and quite frankly…on their very existence. European colonization often forced tribes to choose a side for conflicts. It’s very difficult to track down loyalties as often they would switch as the tribes based each decision on their interest which was… survival.
Family stories is a great place to start here. Often times a tradition or a phrase or an item passed down can help narrow the search. Each tribe does have some documentation but we’ve found it’s best to get as much information on your own before contacting them. They rarely have a genealogist on staff so it just helps streamline the process.
Another tip is to look for ‘holes’ in your genealogy. Often times a missing family member from what we would call a ‘traditional genealogical record’ can be the lead as these were at that time, oral tradition, not written.
Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution is one of several books to help start to find documentation. VISIT THIS FAMILY BLOG AMAZON STORE FOR A WHOLE LIST OF RESOURCES
READ ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Spanish Patriots in the American Revolution
There were more than 400 documented Spanish patriots in the American Revolution. They lived either in Spanish Louisiana or Nueva Espana (which is very fun to say). Nueva Espana included Texas, California, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona.
Here’s the super interesting thing. In 1780, King Carlos III of Spain issued a royal decree that all subjects in Nueva Espana to make a voluntary donation of two pesos to help the American Revolutionary cause.
Spanish patriots also served in Battles of Pensacola and Mobile, were stationed as militia in Spanish Louisiana, and some cattlemen supplied 10,000 heads of cattle to the continental army!
Betcha you didn’t see that in a history book!
Most of this documentation is in Spanish but Galves and Spain in the American Revolution is a good start point. So is The Texas Connection with the American Revolution
VISIT THIS FAMILY BLOG AMAZON STORE FOR A WHOLE LIST OF RESOURCES
African Americans in the American Revolution
Five-thousand of the nearly 400,000 American soldiers in the Revolutionary war were African American, though there their contribution was not fully given recognition at the time.
We can’t mention African American ancestors without broaching the ugly truth of slavery in our early American history. Many of the men who fought were slaves and so that is key information in researching ancestors.
Slavery, Civil War, and Researching Patriot Ancestors
Approximately 15% of African Americans were free when the Civil War began in 1861. For enslaved ancestors, the 1870 federal census is especially important because it is the first census taken after the Civil War and names all persons in a household. For free ancestors, the 1850 federal census is the first census to name all persons in a household.
Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War is a great resource to get started!
VISIT THIS FAMILY BLOG AMAZON STORE FOR A WHOLE LIST OF RESOURCES
Tips for Successful Lineage Research in General
- Start with yourself and work your way back one generation at a time (birth record, marriage, death record)
- Document it as you go. Dedicate a binder for your findings and keep looseleaf paper in there for notes on who you contacted when.
- Use DAR resources for help
- Keep digital copy and hard copy of your records. juuuuuuust in case……
- Be patient
- Talk to family members. It’s always a surprise what people remember or have squirreled away in a drawer somewhere.
- Exhale. Remember history is rarely pretty. You will likely uncover things that can be emotional. It may be jarring, but take it for what it is in the context of the time period. We can only hope to learn from our past so we as a people don’t repeat bad behavior.
Value in Storytelling
Two things I know and believe whole heartedly. There is always value in knowledge and there are always stories worth sharing.
I mean we are a society obsessed with people’s stories aren’t we? Of course we are…otherwise we wouldn’t have Reality TV… or TV at all! Or books! or Podcasts… or You Tube… You get the point…
Whether it’s your own family lineage or you are helping a friend, there is a lot to be gleaned in the journey. And the more stories we uncover, document, and share, the better understanding we have of the 243 years we’ve been a nation.
And what is a nation but a great big collective family made up of many smaller ones. We are unique in having so many different ethnicities under our flag. It’s pretty cool!
READ ALL ABOUT CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
In Closing
Researching your lineage doesn’t have to end in becoming a Daughter of the American Revolution.
It is our hope it is the beginning of a journey where you the reader learn more about where you come from and are able to share that story as a means to connect with others.
Some of that connection could be from joining a lineage society. Or it can be a great story to share at a get together.
Bottom line is it took a very diverse group of people to forage this nation and there are many beautiful stories to discover and tell.
Where will you look for yours?
If you found this article helpful, please pin it for later or share it with a friend!
VISIT THIS FAMILY BLOG AMAZON STORE FOR A WHOLE LIST OF RESOURCES
Need more help in getting started researching? Comment below or email me! I am happy to give resources and point in the right direction!
Like learning about American History and fun ways to explore it? Join This Family!
This is fabulous. Our family has very deep roots here in the US all the way back to 1612 in Jamestown. I’m sure there are many untold stories that have been forgotten in my family. I do know that we’ve had family in every war except Vietnam.
I haven’t done much research, but my mother is really into discovering her roots. She has found several relatives over the years and loves to learn about Ireland, where a large portion of her family heritage lies. I admit, it is fascinating. I simply just do not have the time at the moment. If I’m lucky, my mother will pass down the information to my sisters and me.
I will have to share this post with my cousin, he does all of the family’s genealogy on my father’s side.
Fantastic! I hope there are some good resources here or in the Amazon store for him to use!
This is so cool. I have family members who have done some of our genealogy, but I haven’t had time to really look at it. I’m interested, but my kids (foster care and adoption) all have their own histories and much of my work with parenting has been to try to keep them connected in some way to THEIR pasts.
It’s a very interesting layer to the genealogy story for sure. We have adoptions in my family as well and we’ve tried to trace both biology and adoption lines. I think there is always value in knowledge so for sure reasons to sleuth both out. 🙂
I’ve been actively researching my family roots for years. Taking the Ancestry DNA test last year really ramped that up. It’s been fascinating to connect with DNA matches…distant cousins primarily…that I never knew existed. And I’ve discovered just how diverse I am. I love it.
It really is fun isn’t it? I’m so glad you are able to make connections. That’s what life is all about!
This is so fascinating, It would be so awesome to learn more about my family lineage!
Well if there is anything I can do to help you on that journey, let me know! Happy to point you in a good direction!
My aunt was very active in the DAR chapter in our hometown. Thank you for writing this to ignite my curiosity in it also!
OH Lisa, I have several articles pertaining to DAR activities. I hope you do check them out. I have met some extraordinary women through DAR and had some amazing opportunities to work with vets and kids!!!
Learning about our families and roots is so cool and important. My brother has everything documented tracing back several generations!
I agree! Good for him! I think it’s valuable information and helps us all connect a little more 🙂
I’ve done research on my Geneology but always hit some roadblocks because it wasn’t really written down pre-mid/late 1800s in Hawaii. Your post makes me interested in seeing what I could trace back on other roots. I had no idea that the Spanish King supported the revolution! How cool!
You are not alone. That time period in general is tough. A lot of births were at home. A lot of churches burned down and their records along with them. Census records are spotty and have little info. The list of reasons go on… YES! To be honest, I didn’t know the Spanish King supported the revolution until recently myself. Hence the reason I thought I should make it known. It really is a fascinating time in our history… and so much of it is not commonly known. I’m hoping to fix that a little 🙂
Great. Post, and great information! Thanks for sharing the resources.
My pleasure! I hope they are of some use!
I have had a DNA test done and have been researching my ancesters. It is time consuming but so worth it. Thanks for the information.
It is time consuming indeed. I myself have to go in spurts. I’m trying to pass off projects to other people in the family… more eyes 🙂
I have always wanted to do this. My nana started to and found that my 9th great grandmother is Hannah Duston. She was a colonial purtain in Mass and was taken captive by a Native American tribe. Her baby was killed during the raid. She ended up scalping and killing 10 Indians. She is the first American woman to have a statue in her honor. It is located in Haverhill, MA.
This is a very interesting story. You should absolutely delve into it a bit more and learn as much as you can. Those early stories are often multi layered and can uncover a lot! Let me know what you find. I love learning about them!!
I’m sharing this post with a friend, who’s really into genealogy
Thank you for the share! I hope it is useful!
I’m a member of the DAR too! I just got my number last year, and I had so much fun doing my genealogy work to apply (I couldn’t have done it without my mom). I learned that my patriot ancestor was a Minute Man who bought land from Thomas Jefferson. He died at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Genealogy can feel like real time travel because you can get to know people from the past, especially if you can find letters and diaries. I really need to get more involved with my DAR!
Congratulations! Yes, I think genealogy is fascinating! The stories you uncover are quite amazing. In regards to DAR, I hope you do become more involved. I didn’t really understand what it had to offer until I went to the state conference. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to write a bunch or articles… easier access to information for people like you and I who didn’t grow up in DAR. I hope you will consider subscribing to the blog and if there is anything I can do for you please do not hesitate to ask!
My Aunt has passed on a chart dating back to the origins of our family. I will have to look more closely and see if she included any Patriotic info in it as well. Very interesting read!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Yes! Look to see if there are any patriots. There is a real sense of pride when you find them and their stories 🙂
This is so cool!! So much information I never even thought of!
RIGHT?! I thought so too! That’s why I wanted to put it out there!
Great information! My husband is so into this!
If I can be of any assistance let me know!
Oh boy, you just opened up a can of worms for me! I’ve researched my roots as far back as the Civil War, but this post opens up so many more avenues. I love sharing family history and fun stories at annual family reunions. Great writing and superior content.
Thank you Matt! I’m so glad you enjoyed! If you’ve made it to the civil war you aren’t too far from the Revolutionary War. I love it too!! So much fun!
I really appreciated this perspective! I don’t know too much of my family lineage, but I would love to know more. I would welcome cultural and racial diversity!
I thought the information was timely and I thought it was important to show that there was a time, not that long ago really, when being part of a community, a family, a country, was more important than racial divide. It’s food for thought and the intentions are good thought. It took more than a village to raise up these United States. 🙂
I learned that my family were loyalist and that my direct descent was the first lord Baltimore George Calvert. I went to Annapolis and there is a shrine to him! It was cool!
OH wow! wait, there is a shrine in America to a loyalist? I want to hear more…
Interesting story about family genealogy & lineage! It’s touching to hear about ethnicity – that no matter what race you belong, you helped this nation to become what it is today!
Very informative!
YES! That is exactly why I wrote this! I wanted people to know that and to find some pride in that knowledge. 🙂
My daughter loves genealogy, this is awesome. I’m sharing with her and others.
Oh great! A fellow family historian! My kind of people! Thank you for sharing! I hope its useful!
I am going to share this with my father-in-law. All of this is totally up his alley.
Awesome! He sounds like my kind of guy! 😉
Iys interesting to see where different family members came from and lived so differently.
It’s fascinating. It was only recently I learned about the Spanish involvement in the American Revolution. Always something to learn!
So interesting! Family lineage is so fascinating, and it’s amazing how little we all know and understand.
It really is. I’m so amazed some of these stories haven’t made it down the line. My goal is to get them all together for my children and grand children
Super interesting! I’m not sure I would ever want to know, but it could be cool!
OH I think there is always value in learning and discovering!
How fascinating. Since I got my DNA tested I have become more interested in tracing my lineage.
Melissa its so much fun! There are so many incredible stories! Let me know if I can be of help!
I just love this! My mother always told me that we would qualify for the DAR. These tips will help me to get started! Thank you so much!
Oh Tricia! You totally should! I have met some of the most extraordinary women through DAR. They are smart and are all about community and service to that community. They are a pleasure to be around!