DAR Patriots of Color Database Now Available on 10 Million Names Website

Pamela Wright, President General

October 8, 2024

We are excited to announce that the DAR Patriots of Color Database is now available on the 10 Million Names website (10millionnames.org) by American Ancestors. View the news release here to learn more.

In 2023, DAR became one of the founding collaborating institutions supporting this initiative which includes family historians, leading African American scholars, and cultural institutions, who are working to recover the names of the nearly 10 million people of African descent who were enslaved before 1865 in pre- and post-colonial America.

Our DAR Patriots of Color Database was first released online in 2021 on the DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS) as a part of DAR's E Pluribus Unum Educational Initiative. The 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. Patriots with documented Revolutionary War service who are of African, African American, Native American, Iberian (Spanish or Portuguese), Azorean, Latin American, and/or of multiracial ancestry have been included in this research. Of the more than 6,500 names in the Patriots of Color Database, there are about 70 established Patriots who are also cross referenced in the DAR Ancestor Database. At this time, most of the other entries in the Patriots of Color Database are Patriots found in sources that have not yet had their lines used in a DAR membership application. But as new Patriots of color are verified through DAR applications, the database is updated.

Given the time period and type of information stored in the DAR Patriots of Color Database, American Ancestors invited DAR to collaborate by including DAR's data in the 10 Million Names initiative as part of the On The Battlefield pilot project. This section specifically focuses on Black soldiers in all of the United States’ wars, with DAR's data playing a key role in the Revolutionary War section.

There are slight differences between the Patriots of Color Database on the DAR website and the way in which DAR's data is presented on the 10 Million Names website. The DAR version of the database is centered around individuals and names. The GRS is designed to enable genealogists to research ancestors and their potential service in the American Revolution; the Patriots of Color Database thus focuses on people and an individual's life events appear in a single entry. The American Ancestors version of the database focuses on searches by date rather than individuals. There may be multiple entries for one individual (a birth date and death date, for example). The most up to date and detailed information will always be found on the DAR website.

DAR continues to expand the Patriots of Color Database on the DAR website, which has a recently enhanced landing page and search function, as well as several new and updated entries for Patriots. We invite you to dive into researching the information in the database, which helps expand upon the stories of individuals who contributed to our nation’s fight for independence, including:

Hannah Till (A211724) – George Washington’s cook at Valley Forge, who is an established DAR Patriot whose grave is marked by the DAR
George Galphin, Jr. (A216771) – A famous member of the Creek Nation from Georgia. He is an established DAR Patriot who died November 10, 1798.
Lues Demaranvilla – from Massachusetts who resided in Dartmouth/Freetown and his name may have been Azorean or Portuguese.
William Loughry (A213973) – from North Carolina whose physical description includes a “long scar on arm received during service.”
Anthony Vassal – from Cambridge, Massachusetts was formerly enslaved to Loyalist John Vassall. He petitioned Massachusetts General Court as a “friend of liberty” and was allowed a pension.
Scipio Jones – former enslaved servant of John Paul Jones, credited with Naval service during the Revolution.

Additional stories of Patriots from the database can be explored on our E Pluribus Unum Website in the Patriot Profiles section and Remembrance of Noble Actions exhibit. Interested in learning more about this type of research? Check out our E Pluribus Unum Resources page!

Do you have a story you would like to share about your genealogical journey connecting to an individual in the Patriots of Color Database? Have you discovered a new source that uncovers a Patriot of color who should be added to the database? Or do you have evidence that one of your Patriots should be included in the Patriots of Color Database? Please forward any feedback, questions or evidence to [email protected]

As we approach the 250th anniversary of our great country’s founding, it is more important than ever to celebrate every Patriot who contributed to it. Through DAR’s various efforts to highlight the stories of Revolutionary War Patriots, place historic markers, and expand research and resources, we raise awareness and preserve the memory and spirit of those who contributed to securing American independence.

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