Military records identify individuals who served in the military or who were eligible for service. The records often contain basic genealogical information such as birthplaces, birth dates, and the names of parents. Military records also provide a glimpse into the times in which an ancestor lived, as well as the local and national events in which he participated.

In the late fifteenth century, during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, one out of every twelve Spanish males between the ages of 12 and 45 was required to serve in the army. In 1773, Charles III established the quinta system, which required every fifth Spanish male to serve in the military.

The colonial armies included four kinds of troops:

• Spanish soldiers assigned to temporary service in the colonies.
• Spanish soldiers permanently assigned to colonial service.
• Provincial militia.
• Local militia.
  

The provincial militias were composed of men from the colonies, but the officers were almost exclusively Spanish. The local militias were created toward the end of the eighteenth century for community defense. Both the provincial and local militia were instrumental in the success of the Latin American movement toward independence from Spain.

Types of Military Records

Latin American military records began about 1500. Many types of records were created by Spanish and Latin American military administration. Among the most useful for family history research are the following:

• Service sheets [hojas de servicios]: Lists of military men, usually officers rather than common men. Common soldiers are more likely to appear in enlistments (see “Enlistments” below). Service sheets include the name of the military man, his birth date and birthplace, the names of his parents, and a list of his military ranks and assignments.
  
• Personal petition files [expedientes personales]: Personal requests, such as petitioning for military promotion. They may include a number of documents of genealogical interest, such as family baptismal and marriage certificates or an ancestor's military record.
  
• Military parish records [capellanías]: Records of sacraments performed for soldiers and their families. These records were kept by military chaplains.
  
• Conscription lists [listas de quintas or conscripciones]: Lists of new recruits and, in some cases, all males eligible for military service. In many cases these records are found in town or municipal archives. They can serve as a type of census of all the males who lived in a community at the time the list was compiled.
  
• Enlistments [filiaciones]: Lists of soldiers in the military, excluding officers. You will most likely find common soldiers on this record. Enlistments include the name of each soldier, his birth date and birthplace, the names of his parents, his residence, religion, marital status, and physical description. They may also list the soldier's military history. Enlistments are less likely to be indexed than service sheets.
  
• Census records and review lists [padrones and listas de revistas]: Censuses of military men and their families were often taken in outlying areas. The census records may include all the citizens who were served and protected by the military outpost.