Over the years I have done a great deal of archival research for my own studies and helped others to find muster rolls and compile data on arms and equipment.

Archives can be a bit daunting to those who do not use them, and this research can be hard at times. I also visit museums, historical societies, and private collections to study objects to learn as much as possible about the material culture of the American Revolution, as well as later periods. When you can tie the human side of a story to an object used during wartime, it makes its history much more multi-dimensional.

Although we have come a long way over the years with digitization of documents and collections of objects, sometimes you must go to an archive or museum and dig to find the data you are looking for. Knowing where to look is key.