American Revolution

Was the Connecticut Continental Line Segregated?

Short answer: no. The integration of military units during the American Revolution is a question that has largely yet to be touched by scholarship. Many accounts mention only that Washington banned recruitment of African American soldiers in 1775; that British Commander Lord Dunmore offered freedom to those who joined his “Ethiopian” unit in November ofContinue reading “Was the Connecticut Continental Line Segregated?”

Did Benjamin Graves die as a result of wounds sustained at the Battle of Groton Heights?

The Daughters of the American Revolution GRS System lists an unusual death entry for Benjamin Graves of Connecticut. It reads: “Death: 9-6- 1781 WOUND REC IN BATTLE.” In other words, according to previous applications to the Daughters of the American Revolution, Benjamin Graves died 6 September 1781 of wounds received in battle. 6 September 1781Continue reading “Did Benjamin Graves die as a result of wounds sustained at the Battle of Groton Heights?”

What sources are available to document service for a female patriot from Connecticut?

For a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, documenting a female patriot can offer a special satisfaction. Not only are you putting a new ancestor on file, but you are documenting one whose history is little covered. What sources can help you complete her line? Due to coverture, it can be extremely difficultContinue reading “What sources are available to document service for a female patriot from Connecticut?”

The Oliver Cromwell – A Connecticut Revolutionary War Source of Service

When we talk about someone having “military” and “patriotic” service in the American Revolution, we generally mean that the individual provided support for the American cause by supporting the American Army. But that wasn’t the only option. Shoreline communities, such as Saybrook in Connecticut Colony, supported the cause by building ships. The Oliver Cromwell wasContinue reading “The Oliver Cromwell – A Connecticut Revolutionary War Source of Service”