What percent of Americans do you think are direct descendants of Revolutionary War fighters?

Question

Consider only 250,000 Americans fought in the war, many of them may have died before having children, some not have children at all, and others whose descendents died out. Also how many people moved to America after the war. There are 300,000,000 citizens now, so what are the chances that those 300 million are direct descendents of those 250,000?

Personally I would guess somewhere around 10% or less are direct descendents, but indirectly I bet about 70% are related somehow to those rebels. My family began moving to America in 1610 three years after Jamestown, but my direct ancestor William came over shortly before the war and fought for Virginia.

Direct descendents, mind you. Not your great grandpa's brother's wife's ancestor, but your own ancestor. I found out my family tree last year. I'm the son of Rick, the son of Richard, son of Ray, son of Raymond, son of Dyonisius, son of Alfred, son of Barrett, son of William, fought for Virginia.

Answer 1

Considering that there were mass migrations of people in the 19th century, including the Irish during the potato famines, I'd say there are very few people who are descended from Revolutionary War soldiers. I'd say your estimate is probably about right.

I'm only 3rd generation on my paternal grandmother's side so I definitely cannot trace my roots back to the Revolutionary War.

Answer 2

I think the actual njumber may well be higher than you expect. I know that one of my proven Rev. war fellows has at least 5000 descendants today. Just imagine....you are 9 generations separated from someone who fought in the Rev. war. You have 512 ancestors in that 9th generation. Many descendants of immigrants from the 19th and early 20th century have, by now, an ancestor whose line goes back to colonial days, just by intermarriage at one time or another.

Anyway, I bet the percentage is higher than you might think, and it is getting higher with every passing year.

Answer 3

Probably a lot of people are and don't know it. Even with the great waves of immigration, many of the immigrants that came after the Revolution married into families that had someone that fought in it.
Even only 100,000 men by today could have an enormous progeny living in all parts of the country not knowing each other.

I know I am a mixture of colonial and immigrant

Answer 4

My ancestors shot at each other at the Battle of Cowpens. The one on the British side was killed one of the ones on the American side survived a sword wound to the head that left his brain exposed.

If your family was in the South at the time of the War for States Rights then it is over 95% probable that they were there at the time of the Revolution.

Answer 5

Interesting!! I checked the DAR website, and it shows about 168,000 members. SAR says about 26,000 current members. I don't know how far you can expand with that number. Maybe 1 in 4 of eligible persons are members?
Personal irony- my present hubby and former hubby were raised on opposite sides of the country, never crossed paths. I laughed my posterior off, when I found that they are distant relatives, and BOTH descend from the same Rev. War veteran. Consider the odds on that one!

Answer 6

I would guess less than 10% are direct descendants. Probably only like 2-3%.

Answer 7

1

Answer 8

I would assume a lot. I am a member of the DAR and I have the certificates of birth, death, wedding, obits census, tax and land records There were lots of kids in the families back then.