4 Tips to Trace Your Roots Through American Independence

Can you find a Patriot or a Loyalist in your family tree? Start with these genealogy tips!

Postcard depicting the Battle of Lexington, Massachusetts. Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) was a turning point in the lives of countless families across the United States, Canada, and further abroad. If you’ve ever wondered whether your ancestors were involved in the fight for (or against) American independence, Revolutionary War genealogy can be an exciting journey! Tracing your roots back to the American Revolution requires a bit of creativity and an understanding of what records are available (and where to find them). This blog offers several resources to help you discover if your lineage includes Patriots or Loyalists who fought in the American Revolution.

#1: Start With What You Know: Family Lore and Documents

As with other genealogical journeys, it is important to begin with your immediate family knowledge. Does your family have an old family bible, letters, or military relics? Have you heard your grandparents talk about an ancestor who “fought in the war” or received land from a military grant?

Participants in the Revolutionary War were often young men, typically born between 1730 and 1760. Women also played a role in the conflict (often as nurses, spies, or supporters); however, their contributions may be harder to identify in the surviving documentary record.

Continue to trace your lineage backward through the 1790 United States Federal Census. Can you identify an ancestor who was of military age between 1775 and 1783?

David Dille (age 60–69), a resident of Euclid, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, during the 1830 United States Federal Census. His estimated birth year is between 1761 and 1770. Image sourced from Ancestry.

#2: Where to Find Revolutionary War Records

Once you have identified a potential ancestor, the next step is to dig into the records that can confirm their involvement in the Revolutionary War. A number of lineage societies and online databases provide access to documents from this period. These resources can help you verify and explore your connection to the American Revolution:

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR): The DAR maintains the Genealogical Research System (GRS), which includes verified lineages of Revolutionary War patriots, along with documents supporting each claim. The GRS is searchable online and offers an excellent starting point for discovering whether your ancestor has already been documented.
Sons of the American Revolution (SAR): The SAR also collects lineage records and maintains the Patriot Research System (PRS), which includes service information, applications, and source documentation. This database is also searchable online.
National Archives (NARA): NARA houses comprehensive Revolutionary War records, including pension and bounty-land warrant applications, compiled military service records, and muster rolls. Many of these collections are also available online via FamilySearch and Fold3.
Museum of the American Revolution: The Museum of the American Revolution houses the Patriots of Color Archive (available for free via Ancestry), which documents African American and Native American soldiers who served with the Continental Army.
Library of Virginia: The Library of Virginia offers online access to land grant files, public claims, and county court records that document military service and civilian contributions to the war effort. Other state archives may also house unique collections related to their local militia and war efforts.

When searching these online databases, be mindful of spelling variations. Names were often written phonetically. First names may be abbreviated (e.g., “Wm.” rather than “William”) or may be anglicized versions of foreign names. Boundaries and place names also changed during this era—use the FamilySearch Wiki to determine the establishment year for individual counties.

Revolutionary War pension record for David Dille of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. He served as a sergeant and a lieutenant with Colonel Crawford’s Regiment in the Virginia Militia. Image sourced from Ancestry.

#3: Where to Find Loyalist Records

Not all residents of the American colonies fought for independence. It is estimated that approximately one third of the population was loyal to the Crown, and thousands of these early American families relocated to Canada’s eastern provinces following the Revolutionary War. If you believe your ancestor supported the Crown during the American Revolution, these resources can help you verify and explore your Loyalist connection:

United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada (UELAC): UELAC is the leading organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the Loyalists. They also maintain the Loyalist Directory, which includes biographical details, military service records, and settlement information for over 15,000 Loyalists in Canada.
Library and Archives Canada (LAC): LAC maintains several collections of primary documents related to Loyalist history, including land grant petitions, muster rolls, and military service records. Researchers can also access claims submitted by Loyalists for losses sustained during the American Revolution. Many of these records have been digitized and are freely accessible through the LAC website.
Ancestry: Several Loyalist collections are also available from Ancestry, including biographical sketches for early settlers, regimental service records for the British Army, and other documents pertaining to Loyalists who fled to England. Many of these collections are also freely available via FamilySearch.

#4: Digging Deeper: Adding a Historical Context

Military service records, pension files, or bounty land applications often list enlistment dates, unit designations, or even detailed accounts of service. If you are able to identify your ancestor’s regiment, you may be able to trace the unit’s movements using regimental histories, muster rolls, or regimental war diaries! By cross-referencing dates and locations with known Revolutionary War battles, you can piece together where your ancestor might have been during pivotal moments of the American Revolution.

A detailed account of Lieut. David Dille’s service during the Revolutionary War, including his role in the Battle of Sandusky (c. 1782), was found in his pension record. Image sourced from Ancestry.

Lineage Societies

Have you identified your Patriot or Loyalist ancestor? Organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), and the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada (UELAC) honor the memory of those who participated in the conflict—on both sides. Membership in these societies not only connects you to a community of fellow descendants but also provides opportunities to engage with historical preservation, education, and service projects.

Lineage society applications can be a rewarding but detailed process, requiring verified genealogical proof. If you are interested in joining a lineage society, be sure to visit our Lineage Society & Genealogy Research page.

Conclusion

Tracing your Revolutionary War roots can bring personal meaning to one of the most significant events in American history. With the right resources, you can uncover stories that shaped your family’s legacy. Whether your ancestor fought on the battlefield, delivered supplies, or kept the family farm running through the war, their story is part of America’s story.

Are you interested in exploring your Revolutionary War ancestry? Contact us to see how we can collaborate to uncover your family’s unique story!

4 Key Steps to Trace Your Icelandic-Canadian Ancestry

Do you have Icelandic-Canadian ancestry? We hope this article gets you started on an exciting journey to discover the lives of your ancestors who immigrated to Canada from Iceland.

Canada is home to over 100,000 Icelandic-Canadians, the largest ethnic Icelandic population outside of Iceland. Icelandic emigration to Canada began after the eruption of the Askja volcano in 1875. By 1914, more than 14,000 Icelanders—about 20% of Iceland’s population—had settled in Canada and the United States.

If you’re a descendant of Icelandic-Canadians and are ready to explore your Icelandic-Canadian heritage, here are four essential steps to help you start your genealogical journey.

Icelandic village

Step #1: Start with What You Know About Your Icelandic-Canadian Ancestry

The best place to begin your research is with the information you already have. Talk to family members, particularly older relatives, to gather stories, photographs, and documents about your Icelandic-Canadian ancestors. Use this information to create a preliminary family tree, which will help guide your research moving forward.

Focus on details such as birth, marriage, death, and immigration dates and locations. Be sure to ask about Icelandic names—whether surnames or place names—as these can help you narrow the search for your ancestral town of origin.

Key Questions to Ask Family Members:

• Do you know the names of our Icelandic-Canadian ancestors?

• Where did they live (in Canada and/or in Iceland)?

• When did they immigrate to Canada?

• Are there any family stories or traditions passed down from Iceland?

• Do you have any old documents, photos, or heirlooms that might provide additional clues?

Step #2: Search North American Record Collections

Once you’ve gathered what you can from family stories and documents, the next step is to validate this information in North American record collections. Focus on documents that can help confirm your ancestor’s town of origin in Iceland. Passenger lists may reference a larger region or city in Iceland, while naturalization records often contain specific geographic details. Vital records (see Manitoba Vital Statistics Branch) and church records (see FamilySearch’s Canada, Manitoba Church Records, 1800-1959) may also provide clues about your ancestor’s town of origin.

Remember that Icelandic emigrants often traveled in groups, and records of friends, neighbors, and traveling companions may also provide important clues to their town of origin.

If a town-of-origin cannot be located in the available North American record collections, seek to determine if your Icelandic ancestor became a Canadian citizen. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada hold most of Canada's naturalization records (from 1854 to the present). Canadian citizens can also request these records using an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request, often processed in a much shorter timeframe.

Useful Sources for Locating Icelandic Towns of Origin:

• Ship Passenger Lists: passenger lists provide key information about immigrant ancestors, and may include their town of origin in Iceland. Canadian passenger lists are available on Ancestry as well as Library and Archives Canada.

• Allan Steamship Line vessels–sailing from the Port of Glasgow to Quebec City–were popular among Icelandic emigrants. Scottish departing passenger lists may also provide clues to a town of origin.

• Immigration Index: Library and Archives Canada maintains several collections of citizenship and naturalization records, which may contain valuable information such as the immigrant's name, age, occupation, and place of origin. Many of these records are digitized and available online.

Step #3: Connect with Icelandic-Canadian Genealogical Societies

Icelandic-Canadians maintain a close-knit community with a deep sense of cultural pride, and several Icelandic-Canadian clubs and genealogical societies focus on genealogical research. These societies often collect letters, oral histories, photographs, and other documents linked to Icelandic immigration to Canada. These societies may also have published family histories related to your immigrant ancestors!

Icelandic Clubs and Genealogical Societies in North America

• The Icelandic National League of North America maintains an extensive library of Icelandic historical and genealogical material.

• Icelandic Roots (membership site) maintains a genealogical database and family tree with over 820,000 individuals.

• New Iceland Heritage Museum (located in Gimli, Manitoba) maintains an archive that includes passenger lists, documents, and personal stories. It is also an excellent resource for learning about Icelandic language and culture.

• Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto offers seminars and genealogical resources, particularly related to the early Icelandic settlement in Kinmount, Ontario.

kinmount ontario

Step #4: Validate a Town-of-Origin in Icelandic Census and Parish Records

Once you have identified your ancestral town of origin, you should validate this information with available Icelandic record collections.

Useful Sources for Icelandic Record Collections

• Indexes to Icelandic Census (1870-1890) and church records (baptisms and marriages) are available from Ancestry.

• Online indexes to Icelandic church records are available on FamilySearch; however, the majority of digitized images can only be accessed at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or FamilySearch affiliate locations.

• The Icelandic National Archives has a wealth of records, including census data and church records, dating back to the 17th century.

For additional resources linked to specific Icelandic regions, see FamilySearch's Iceland Genealogy Wiki.

Icelandic Naming Conventions

Hereditary surnames have limited use in Iceland. Icelanders continue to use patronymic – and, to a lesser extent, matronymic – surnames. Patronymic surnames are derived from the genitive form of the father’s given name, followed by -son (“son”) or -dóttir (“daughter”). For example:

“Magnús Jónsson” is “Magnús, son of Jón” 
“Anna Guðmundsdóttir” is “Anna, daughter of Guðmundur”

Icelandic immigrants to Canada essentially adopted North American naming conventions. The patronymic name of the first ancestor to settle in Canada is most commonly used, but toponymic surnames (often derived from the family’s ancestral village) were also chosen.

For more information, see FamilySearch’s Iceland Naming Customs.

A Note on Íslendingabók (The Book of Icelanders)

Íslendingabók (The Book of Icelanders) is an online database that contains information about the ancestry of almost all Icelanders—in some cases dating back to the 9th century. Anyone with an Icelandic National Identify number can access this database; however, information is primarily restricted to the individuals’ immediate ancestors.

Conclusion

Whether you're looking to discover your ancestor's specific town in Iceland or hoping to connect with distant relatives, each step brings you closer to understanding your Icelandic-Canadian heritage.

Ready to take the next step in your genealogical journey? Contact Legacy Tree Genealogists today to learn how we can help bring your Icelandic-Canadian ancestry to life.

iceland scenic photo

Mjóifjörður is the ancestral home of Eyjólfur Einarsson and Thóranna Björnsdótter. The Einarsson family settled in Gimli, Manitoba, during the 1880s. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Spike, “Mjóifjörður Panorama 01,” photograph, 2023; Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/: accessed 15 November 2024).