These Were the Hessians

The ultimate outcome of the American Revolutionary War was foreordained when England turned to the European continent to obtain soldiers. Rulers of six small German states (Hesse-Cassel, Hesse-Hanau, Brunswick, Waldeck, Ansbach-Bayreuth and Anhalt-Zerbst) signed treaties with England whereby troop units were placed in English service. These Hessians represented one-third of all combatants serving the Crown during the American Revolutionary War. They were good soldiers; however, they may have been one of the primary reasons that England lost her American colonies. They came as enemies, but many became compatriots and fellow-fighters for freedom and the independence of the United States. This detailed account of the Hessian's contribution to this nation's growth includes the Waldeck Articles of War, 1775 (both the German and English versions); and examines the role of women with the Hessian units. Seven color plates and a bibliography enhance the text. The author has researched the role of the Hessians in the American Revolutionary War for more than fifty years; published thirty books, primarily based on his translations of Hessian documents; and lectured on Hessians. He is a recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Revolution Roundtable of Philadelphia and the Gold Good Citizen Medal from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Read more