Daily AncestorDependent Pension Act of 1890
The Dependent Pension Act of 1890 pensioned Union veterans with 90 days' service and an honorable discharge who could not do manual labor, whatever the cause.
Signed June 27, 1890, the law dropped the old rule that the disability must come from military service. A veteran unable to perform manual labor for any reason now qualified, regardless of his income, and widows and children under 16 could also collect.
The Grand Army of the Republic had pushed hard for it. Since the 1890 act opened pensions to many men who could not have qualified before, a Union veteran's first application may date from the 1890s rather than the 1860s.
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Daily Ancestor. "Dependent Pension Act of 1890." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/dependent-pension-act-of-1890. Last checked 2026-10-03.