Were Revoutionary soliders paid?

Question

were the american soldiers of the revolutionary war paid, if so how much and what type of currency (pound, euro, ect...)

Answer 1

Yes. Colonial militias were paid and generally better than British regulars. For regular state militias, this was paid for by the colony/state, although only officers were given any equipment. Canons were property of the colony. Local militias, often called minute-men, were paid for time spent drilling, but unpaid for emergency service (defending against an Indian attack.) If a counter-raid was organized, the individuals going on that would be paid. Continental regulars were paid by the Continental Congress, but certain militas were better paid than the regulars. During the Revolutionary War, the pay from most colonies and certainly from Congress became very erratic, which caused great difficulty, even causing mutinies. General Washington was unpaid thru the end of the war and then submitted an itemized bill to the Congress.

Answer 2

Yes, they were supposed to be paid. In what currency? Well, neither the U.S. dollar nor the Euro had been minted yet. They were promised pay and quite often, they had to forgo payment. There just wasn't enough money. As a matter of fact, the most famous person to change sides over a lack of payment is Benedict Arnold. He was a bold fighter and fought in numerous battles for the colonialists: Fort Ticonderoga, Saratoga, Montreal and Quebec. He claimed he'd been promised a little "something extra" by Congress for the cannon taken at Ticonderoga -- the money and credit was given to Ethan Allen (and The Green Mountain Boys). Wounded twice, and a personal friend of Gen. Washington, Arnold convinced Washington to let him take command of the fort at West Point. He attempted to give the fort over to the British and also gave them Washington's itinerary. It all fell apart when his British contact was captured and Washington showed up early at the fort.
How much? It would depend upon one's rank. Rest assured, it wasn't much.
People swapped sides often in that war. Usually over pay. As for Gen. Arnold, he escaped to a British ship waiting out in the harbor. His wife and child caught up with him later. They went to England where they were not well accepted. He fought against France as well, hoping to make a better reputation for himself with his newfound British home. It didn't work and eventually, he died a pauper.

Answer 3

They were paid, but pay was erratic and lack of it contributed to much discontent. Do a search on Pompton Mutiny the winter of 1780 to 1781. Another problem with the pay was that they were paid in Continental Dollars. Paper money printed by the Continental Congress with not Hard Currency (e.g. Gold) to back it up. This money was pretty much worthless--Hence the phrase 'not worth a continental'. Many Officers paid and provisioned their troops out of their own pockets. The inability to get reimbursement from the Continental Congress for this was one of the things that helped push Gen. Benedict Arnold to commit his horribly treasonous attempt to deliver up West Point.