The National Archives and the National Park Service recently announced a collaborative project that allows members of the public to transcribe Revolutionary War Pension Files. This initiative has been launched in celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of America’s independence.

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress offered pensions to American soldiers for their service. Later, they extended the pensions to the widows and orphans of deceased soldiers. Each pension file contains a wealth of information about the common Continental or militia soldier who fought for American independence.

As you might expect, the public transcription project is a large undertaking. The National Archives reports that they have 2,322,134 objects digitally scanned and ready for transcription.

If you want to help keep the story of a Revolutionary War Patriot alive and accessible, consider joining the National Archives’ Citizen Archivist program to get started today. For more information and to sign up, visit https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/missions/revolutionary-war-pension-files.