August 26, 1776: Act provided half pay to all officers and enlisted men disabled in the service of the US. This benefit was to continue as long as the disability rendered the recipient from being able to earn a living.

May 15, 1778: Act provided for half pay for 7 years after the conclusion of the war for all officers in the Continental Line who remained in the service until the conclusion of the war. Enlisted men who remained in the Continental Line until the conclusion of the war were to receive a gratuity of $80 each.

August 24, 1780: Act provided for half pay for 7 years for the widows and orphans of officers meeting the requirements of the May 15, 1778 Act.

October 21, 1780: The May 15, 1778 Act was amended to provide for half pay for life to all officers meeting the criteria of the original Act.

March 22, 1783: The May 15, 1778 Act again was amended to change the half pay for life to full pay for 5 years for officers meeting the criteria of the Act.

September 29, 1789: Act provided for the Federal government to provide for 1 year pensions previously paid by the States to their disabled veterans. The 1-year limitation was extended by various acts thereafter.

March 23, 1792: Act permitted Continental Line disabled veterans, not already receiving pensions, to apply directly to the Federal government for a pension.

April 10, 1806: Act superseded all previous laws relating to pensions by disabled soldiers and expanded the scope of the March 23, 1792 legislation to benefit disabled veterans who served in State troops and militia units as well as disabled Continental Line veterans.

March 18, 1818: Act provided lifetime pensions to poverty stricken Continental Line and US Navy veterans who had served at least 9 months or until the end of the war. So many applications were filed under this Act that the legislation was amended on May 1, 1820 to require applicants to submit certified schedules of income and assets with their applications and empowering the Secretary of War, in his sole discretion, to remove from the pension rolls such beneficiaries as he may determine were not in need of financial assistance. On March 1, 1823, Congress passed legislation which resulted in the restoration of some of the pensions disallowed by the Secretary.

May 15, 1828: Act provided for full pay to surviving officers and enlisted men who qualified under the May 15, 1778 legislation without any requirement of being disabled or in financial need.

June 7, 1832: Act provided for full pay for life for all officers and enlisted men who served at least 2 years in the Continental Line, the state troops or militia, the navy or marines. Men who served less than 2 years but more than 6 months were granted pensions of less than full pay. Benefits were payable without regard to financial need or disability and widows or children of were entitled to collect any unpaid benefits due from the last payment to a veteran until his death.

July 4, 1836: Act provided that widows of veterans who qualified for benefits under the 1832 Act could claim his benefit if she married the veteran during the term of his active service in the Revolution.

July 7, 1838: Act granted a 5-year pension to widows whose marriages took place prior to January 1, 1794. The benefits of this legislation were extended by acts passed March 3, 1843, June 17, 1844, and February 2, 1848.

July 29, 1848: Act provided for lifetime pensions for widows of veterans if the marriage occurred prior to January 2, 1800. The limitations on pensions tied to the date of marriage of the widow were removed by legislation dated February 3, 1853 and February 28. 1855.

March 9, 1878: Act provided lifetime benefits for any widow whose husband served as little as 14 days or who participated in any engagement during the Revolution.

Bounty-Land Acts

September 16, 1776: Act provided land bounties to Continental Line officers and enlisted men who served for the duration of the war. Heirs and representatives of officers and men killed in action also were entitled to land under the Act. The amount of land to which claimants were entitled varied according to rank: enlisted men and noncommissioned officers were entitled to 100 acres; ensigns, 150 acres; lieutenants, 200 acres; colonels, 500 acres. By Act dated August 12, 1870, the provisions were extended to provide 850 acres for brigadier generals and 1,100 acres for major generals.

March 3, 1855: Act provided for a 160-acre grant to all veterans, regardless of rank, who served at least 14 days in the Revolution or who had participated in any engagement during the war. Widows and minor children of such veterans were eligible to claim any land not previously granted to their husband or father. Individuals who had claimed under the previous bounty laws could claim any deficiency in previously granted land up to a maximum of 160 acres. On May 14, 1856, the benefits of the 1855 law were extended to naval and marine veterans, their widows and minor children.