WASHINGTON — As part of American Ancestors’ 10 Million Names initiative, the Daughters of the American Revolution’s (DAR) Patriots of Color Database is now accessible on 10 Million Names by American Ancestors ( 10millionnames.org ).
Offering the Daughters of the American Revolution: Patriots of Color, 1712 – 1888 database , in addition to the other free genealogy resources already represented on the 10 Million Names website, is an important step toward providing a full, transparent and free repository of information about the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America (specifically, the territory that would become the United States) before 1865.
The goal of the 10 Million Names initiative is to recover their names and as much contextual detail as possible.
The DAR Patriots of Color Database was originally released in 2021 on the DAR’s Genealogical Research System (GRS) website and is filled with more than 6,500 names of individuals of African, Native American, Iberian, Latin American descent, or of multiracial ancestry who served in or supported the American Revolution. The names and sources tied to the names can assist researchers in their quest to uncover important facts about heritage or more general information about the Revolutionary War.
The information from the DAR Patriots of Color Database was derived from decades of research that culminated in a 2008 DAR publication, Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War . The information has since been expanded and updated in the online database.
Including the information from the DAR Patriots of Color Database in 10 Million Names is important to make the names and life details of these individuals more accessible to a wider audience and easier to cross reference with other names listed in the 10 Million Names initiative. The DAR Patriots of Color Database will also remain in full on the DAR website , where its purpose is more geared toward helping individuals identify Revolutionary War service for their ancestors and providing important reference materials on those individuals.
Researchers should note that expanded resources on the individuals in the database can be found on the DAR website and DAR will be updating names and details on its website more frequently than information will be updated on the counterpart database on 10 Million Names.
“We are honored to contribute our Patriots of Color Database to the historic 10 Million Names project,” said Pamela Wright, DAR President General. “Tracing lineages and celebrating all Patriots who contributed to the founding of our country are key connecting points for DAR members across the world. We are delighted to help others do the same. Collaborating with 10 Million Names in this way, as well as continuing to research and update the DAR Patriots of Color Database, are important aspects of our DAR E Pluribus Unum Educational Initiative.”
The DAR E Pluribus Unum (EPU) Educational Initiative , launched in 2020, aims to increase awareness of often underrepresented Revolutionary War Patriots. The goals of the initiative include expanding research, covering additional names, and providing more historical, educational, and genealogical resources about people of color during the Colonial period.
“Thousands of people of African and Native descent fought in the American Revolution, though the stories of these soldiers and their families are not widely known,” said Cynthia Evans, Research Director for 10 Million Names.
“The names, dates, and other information in the DAR Patriots of Color Database is invaluable because these facts illuminate our real history and counter the long-held misperception of an entirely white fighting force on both sides.”
Information in the Daughters of the American Revolution: Patriots of Color, 1712 – 1888 database may be searched by first/last name, date (of birth, death, military, marriage), spouse/parent information, enslaver information, occupation, and/or military service details. Those with documented Revolutionary War service of African, African American, Native American, Iberian (Spanish or Portuguese), Azorean, Latin American, and/or of multiracial ancestry (or perceived ancestry from the documents of the time) are categorized as Patriots of Color for inclusion in the database.
“Being able to share these names, sources, and stories with a wider audience is extremely important to our mission of ensuring that all Patriots, regardless of race or gender, are remembered for their noble actions during the American Revolution,” said DAR President General Wright. “And we encourage all women who can trace their ancestry back to these brave Patriots to become members of the DAR!”
The Daughters of the American Revolution and American Ancestors are excited to collaborate on this important project and continue to provide and build on more free resources in the 10 Million Names project for researchers, historians and anyone interested in learning more.
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The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) was founded in 1890 to preserve the memory and spirit of those who contributed to securing American independence. As one of the largest patriotic women’s service organizations in the world, DAR has nearly 190,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters around the world.
American Ancestors, founded in 1845, is a national center for family history, heritage, and culture based in Boston’s historic Back Bay and one of the world’s top destinations for family history research, according to USA Today . It has more than 400,000 members serving online users around the world at AmericanAncestors.org .
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