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Hi! I'm Denyse Allen, Founder of PA Ancestors

Your ancestor was here in 1776. Here's where to look.

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

PAancestors.com​

The Revolutionary Era: Where to Start

Hello Reader!

If your ancestor lived in Pennsylvania between 1765 and 1790, the Revolution shaped their life, whether they fought, stayed home, or left the state entirely. The records are scattered across county courthouses, the Pennsylvania State Archives, the National Archives, and even British archives.

Here's what you need to know before you start.

Pennsylvania was the most ethnically diverse of the 13 colonies. By 1776, the population included English Quakers, Welsh settlers, massive German-speaking communities — Palatines, Mennonites, Amish, Moravians, Reformed, Lutherans — Scots-Irish settlers who had pushed west, and close to 6,000 enslaved Africans plus a small free Black population. Your research strategy depends on which group your ancestor belonged to.

Not everyone chose the same side. Patriots served in Continental Line regiments and militia companies. About 3,000 Loyalists left with the British when they evacuated Philadelphia in June 1778. Quakers, Mennonites, Amish, and other pacifists paid militia fines rather than serve. And many people simply tried to survive without committing to either side. Absence of military records does not mean your ancestor was a Loyalist.

The key record types: Military muster rolls and pay records in Pennsylvania Archives 5th series. Pension files at the National Archives (free index on FamilySearch, full files on Fold3). Tax assessment lists in Pennsylvania Archives 3rd series volumes 11-22. Church records are essential. And land records from Pennsylvania's proprietary system.

​I've written a full overview on the blog that covers every group, every record type, and where to find them​

This is the first of a five-part series on Revolutionary-era Pennsylvania research.

Next week: how to find your ancestor's actual service records.

Keep discovering your ancestors,

Denyse Allen

Founder, PA Ancestors

P.S. Chapter 1 of Colonial Pennsylvania Genealogy Research covers this overview in detail, with county-by-county strategies most researchers miss.

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Hi! I'm Denyse Allen, Founder of PA Ancestors

I help genealogists research their ancestors in Pennsylvania through books, workshops, and a membership community.

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