Franklin Rausch Discusses Revolutionary War Records at Issaqueena Chapter, NSDAR Meeting
November 12, 2024
In recognition of Veterans Day, the Issaqueena Chapter, NSDAR invited Dr. Franklin Rausch, a history professor at Lander University and an American Revolutionary War re-enactor, as guest speaker for their November chapter meeting.
Dr. Rausch was named Lander’s Distinguished Professor of the Year in 2019 and was awarded the DAR Distinguished Citizen Medal by the Issaqueena Chapter in 2023. His presentation “America’s First Veterans” gave attendees a better understanding of how the U.S., as a newly founded nation, developed a pension program to compensate Patriot soldiers who had served in the American Revolution.
“During the American War for Independence, it was not entirely clear what form, if any, a continued, unified national government would take,” Raush explained. “The idea of pensions for soldiers was the result of various efforts by Continental Congress, the states and eventually the federal government, which led to the 1818 Pension Act.”
The meeting provided valuable insights to those seeking to trace their lineage to soldiers who fought in the American Revolution. Rausch focused on how pension records can be key resources in establishing military service. At times, these pension records contain witness accounts or testimony by the soldier’s family and neighbors providing the only surviving evidence of these individuals’ service and identity.
Dr. Rausch also encouraged attendees to explore volunteering with the National Archives to transcribe and tag historical records as part of an ongoing effort to preserve and document the stories of Revolutionary War veterans.
Photo: Dr. Franklin Rausch, professor of history and Lander’s Distinguished Professor of the Year (2019) discusses an American Revolution soldier’s pension record with attendees of the Issaqueena Chapter, NSDAR during a presentation on November 7. The program, entitled “America’s First Veterans,” was coordinated to recognize Veterans Day, which was officially observed on November 11.
