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.