Veterans Benefits during the Revolution
In the Spring of 1775, battles with the British at Lexington and Concord marked the start of the Revolutionary War, and the Second Continental Congress soon convened in preparation for independence. Notably, veterans benefits were as much a topic of conversation for the Founders as the creation of the new government itself. Members of the Continental Congress saw fit to create the first committee on veterans benefits even before the Declaration of Independence. Later that summer, one of the first laws of the new nation was the creation of a veterans benefits system.
Use the links on this page to access original documents from the Library of Congress.
1776—June 20 (Continental Congress) First Veterans Committee Established
1776—August 26 (Continental Congress) National Benefits System created for Disabled Veterans
1777—April 22 (Continental Congress) Invalid Corps created for Disabled Veterans to work in Garrison
1778—September 25 (Continental Congress) Disabled Veteran Benefits Extended Retroactively
1780—August 24 (Continental Congress) Disability and Death Benefits Extended to Widows and Orphans
1780—October 21 (Continental Congress) Officers Granted 1/2 Pay Pensions for Life