Patriots of Color Archive: Black and Indigenous Soldiers in the Revolutionary War
Nearly 200 rare documents bearing the names of Black and Native American soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War are now part of the Museum's collection.
About the Document Archive
This collection of original muster rolls, pay vouchers, enlistment papers, and discharge forms has been methodically assembled from auctions, rare manuscript dealers, and fellow collectors over the past 25 years.
About the Documents & Partnership with Ancestry
The archive was acquired from a private collection, thanks to the generosity of several donors. The archive documents the military service of men of African and Native American descent who served in the ranks of the Continental Army. This vast and varied archive provides the opportunity to explore the lives of hundreds of veterans of color, considering their difficult choices and analyzing the intersection of their lives with the complex world in which they lived. The Museum displays select documents as rotations in its core galleries and in special exhibitions.
Documents from the archive are now accessible to everyone at no cost, thanks to a partnership with Ancestry, the global leader in family history, as part of their commitment to preserving history that is at risk of being forgotten.
Select Documents from the Archive
To be able to see the names of these men and know that they held these papers in their hands is incredibly powerful. They also document the complicated racial dynamics of an army fighting for the principle that ‘all men are created equal’ in a nation where slavery was still legal.Dr. Philip C. Mead, former Chief Historian
The Archive in the News
Read a selection of featured press clips about the recently acquired archive of documents.
How an enslaved Black soldier fought for independence and won his freedom
February 9, 2022The Philadelphia Inquirer's Stephan Salisbury spoke with a descendent of Jeffrey Brace, whose 1810 memoir documents his life from enslavement to freedom and whose nickname — Pomp London — appears on documents in the recently acquired archive.
Related Highlights from Our Collection
View additional manuscripts and printed works documenting the experiences of people of African descent during the American Revolution.
Cash Pallentine's Continental Army Discharge
Phillis Wheatley's Poetry
This original copy of Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, published in 1773, was written by Phillis Wheatley, the first published African-American woman author.
Creamware Punch Bowl
Support this Project
Please contact our Development department at 267.579.3580 to learn more.
Additional funding is needed for the digitization, conservation, and to support the development of educational programming related to the nearly 200 documents. To learn how you can help support this project, please contact our Development department at 267.579.3580.
DonateSupport for this Project
The Museum is grateful to the following donors for their support of the archive: National Historical Publications and Records Commission; Pennsylvania, the Great American Getaway; Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III in memory of Daniel W. Offit, Denise Foderaro and Frank Quattrone, Bank of America, Philip Syng Reese, Ed Satell and the Satell Family Foundation, with additional support from Tim Collins and the Museum’s Collection Society. We appreciate the State Society of Cincinnati of Pennsylvania, Dr. Scholl Foundation, and Achelis & Bodman Foundation for their support of ongoing research into the archive, conservation, and digital development to bring these stories to life.