How and when did the American Revolution happen? In recent years, new historical research has continually evaluated this question. Although our earlier learning has simplified the causes into themes like no taxation without representation, the real reasons for independence are far more complex. As genealogists, we must understand the ten years leading to the outbreak of the war for independence at Lexington and Concord to grasp the incredible risks our ancestors took and the sacrifices they made to achieve independence.

This presentation explores the pivotal twelve-year period from the Treaty of Paris (1763), which ended the French & Indian War, to the first armed skirmishes at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. We will trace the gradual historical, geographical, social, and economic forces that eventually led to independence, helping participants understand the complex forces behind this formative event our ancestors faced.

This talk goes beyond the history books to focus on the records. We will discuss how to begin your revolutionary family history stories by determining what roles your ancestors may have played in the Prologue to Revolution.

John Putnam is a native of Western Massachusetts, where he grew up on a farm, attended public schools, and earned his BA in Government/Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While in college, he debated for four years and married his debate partner, Sue, after graduating. He earned an MA in Political Science at the University of Colorado.

John’s interest in genealogy began at a young age, when his two grandmothers told family stories. He also attended both the Putnam and the Clark family reunions. As a twelfth-generation New Englander, there were many stories to be told. His Putnam ancestors lived in Salem/Danvers, MA, where they were very involved in the Salem Witchcraft incident. A great-uncle was a major general in the Revolution, so he got an early indoctrination into the exploits of these historical Putnams. His Clark ancestors descended from two Mayflower Pilgrims, a fact he learned later in life. The Clark stories revolved around the hardships of farming in nineteenth-century Western Massachusetts. Both his parents were active in their local historical society and often deepened John’s interest in Western Massachusetts’s local history.

John is a past president of the Pikes Peak Genealogical Society and served as its delegate to the Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies. In December 2011, he wrote a paper titled “Teaching Grannies” for a local genealogy course at Pikes Peak Community College. In June 2012, he presented a paper at the Pikes Peak Regional Historical Symposium on historical floods in the Pikes Peak region. Since then, he has continued to present to local genealogical societies and has begun writing his family history.