Messiah College has an opportunity to obtain 2670 reels of Revolutionary War Pension files from the National Archive. Has anyone worked with these documents? If so, what have you used them for and how much do they reveal about each individual pension filer? Also, do you think undergraduate history majors could handle doing research in them?
Thanks.
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Pension files are usually much more detailed than service records, and even many RevWar pension files will contain a first-person affidavit of the veteran seeking to establish eligibility for a pension. So they can include personal narratives of time in the service, injuries sustained, battles, etc. There will also be affidavits from other people testifying to events described, maybe appeals from widows, etc. That's a rich vein of primary source material. Undergrads would love it.
Thanks, LD. I remember reading some of them about 10 years ago, but that was not through the eyes of a teacher.
I would think they're very interesting historical materials because they combine some documents from the Revolutionary period with later detailed reminiscences and supporting material, and even later requests for information on ancestors. They show the process of history being made, preserved, recreated, and at times distorted. They show what the American culture thought was worth preserving at different times. And there are undoubtedly some excellent case studies to be developed from them.
I also understand that these reels have all been digitized by Ancestry/Footnote. Which may be why the microfilm is available, but may also mean there’s an alternative that would be a better value for your students.
J.L. That is extremely helpful. Thanks.