Boys as young as 16 were allowed to serve, so any male ancestors who were between the ages of 16 and 50 between 1776 and 1783 were potential candidates. Those who didn’t serve directly in a military capacity may have helped in other ways – by providing goods, supplies or non-military service to the cause. Women also participated in the American Revolution, some even accompanying their husbands to battle.

If you have an ancestor you believe may have served in the American Revolution, then Bob Oliphant has tips to help you get started

Robert “Bob” Oliphant is a local historian of Westford, but he was not always on that path. He is originally from Oberlin, Ohio, and went to college to study metallurgy and materials science. It was while in college that he discovered his passion for genealogy, the study of tracing lineages. Eight years after graduating from college, he moved to Westford, where he and his wife, Bonnie, raised their three sons. Since then, Oliphant has been on the Westford Historical Commission on the board of the Westford Museum and Historical Society, and serves on the town’s Parkerville Schoolhouse Committee and the Records and Archives Management Committee. He has published a history book on Westford, The Westford Gazetteer. He also does research and writes articles for the Westford Historical Society, and has written the “Museum Musings” column in the Westford Eagle, the local weekly newspaper, since 2008. He is dedicated to studying Westford history and serving the town in doing so

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Westford 250-In 2025 the nation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War. Join the Westford Museum and Historical Society as we explore Westford’s history in the American Revolution and related stories……..