The American Army had limited resources going into the Revolutionary War. They borrowed goods, supplies, and even food. People had their homes and business damaged by the American Army – or the British. Many of those who lost money or property as a result later filed claims against state governments.
These Revolutionary War claims files can help establish your ancestor’s activities during the American Revolution. In order to receive money, an ancestor had to document why they were owed money. That meant providing receipts, detailed accounts of their movements, and more.
Different states store these records in different locales, but they are generally filed with the records of the state treasurer or comptroller. New York’s – at least those that survived the 1911 Capitol fire – are detailed in this catalog entry. Those claims from Connecticut that have been indexed are interfiled with the Connecticut Archives collection.
Happy hunting!