“[Hessians is a book that is] superbly grounded in primary sources that is also readable. … In crisp, lively prose, this book brings to life the story of nearly thirty thousand soldiers from the German states who fought for Great Britain in the War of American Independence. … From the start, therefore, this work examines the experiences of all such soldiers, not just from a particular kingdom or duchy. This is an ambitious goal, and Baer achieved it with aplomb. … Plumbing a breathtaking amount of previously unresearched German archival sources along with better-known published primary accounts, Baer easily dispels the old canard that these men were all forced to go … A solid hybrid of social and military history … a very fine work of history.” — Christian B. Keller, The Journal of American History

“Hessians is a deftly written, richly detailed study and appraisal of a complex and vital component in Revolutionary War history … a superb work of scholarship and is an essential volume for any student of Revolutionary War history.” — Richard F. Welch, The Journal of the American Revolution

“It is bound to become required reading for anyone interested in America’s struggle for independence.” — Robert A. Selig, Yearbook of German-American Studies

“Professor Baer has written a lucid and engaging history of the Hessians’ experience in a war far from their native lands, using a remarkable number of primary sources in German to do so.” — John R. Maass, Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online

“A truly definitive account of the 30,000 German auxiliaries, ranging from the six treaties they signed to the individual contingents’ experiences and perspectives.” — Choice

“Baer has given many interesting details that flesh out German Auxiliary military service in America or Canada that personalizes the conflict, adding a fresh and new perspective.” — Michael R. Gadue, The Hessians: Journal of the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association

“A thorough and critical analysis of the German experience in the American Revolution … fill[s] a critical gap in modern Revolutionary scholarship, making Hessians an essential read.” — Brady J. Crytzer, Journal of the Early Republic

“A welcome authoritative study of German service in the American War for Independence.” — Michael P. Gabriel, The Hessians: Journal of the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association

“A superb contribution to our understanding of the Revolution.” — Gordon S. Wood

“Friederike Baer’s extraordinary Hessians brilliantly analyzes the predicaments of thousands of German fighting men contracted into Britain’s American War from 1775 to 1783 … Destined to be the authoritative work on its subject for a generation to come, Hessians challenges us to think anew about the landscapes, peoples, and ambitions of the new United States.” — Jane Kamensky

“This study offers fascinating insights into the experiences of German troops during the Revolutionary War; as newcomers, they saw the American conflict with fresh eyes. A marvel of archival research, it reveals an eighteenth-century civil war from the perspective of outsiders … This richly textured account includes plenty of startling new revelations about the Revolutionary War.” — Benjamin L. Carp

Description

Between 1776 and 1783, Britain hired an estimated 30,000 German troops in the war against the American rebels. These troops were supplied by six German territories within the Holy Roman Empire: Hessen-Kassel, Hessen-Hanau, Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, Ansbach-Bayreuth, Anhalt-Zerbst, and Waldeck. Because the majority were supplied by the territories of Hessen-Kassel and Hessen-Hanau, the label “Hessian” has been used to describe all German troops in British service in North America, regardless of place of origin.

In her memoirs, Luise Wiedemann, the sister of the physician Christian Friedrich Michaelis who served in the Hessian corps, described the journey to America almost as adventurous as going to the moon. This comparison was not very far-fetched. As late as the 1770s, the average German probably did not know much about the Western hemisphere, especially North America, and they knew even less about the war they were about to enter. Many were eager to share their impressions of the American war, the land and the people with family and friends back home. Collectively they wrote thousands of letters, kept journals and wrote memoirs, some of which were published in German-speaking Europe during or after the war. In addition, military and civilian officials produced a voluminous body of official records, including correspondence, regimental diaries, muster rolls, and other kinds of material that documented the troops’ activities. Thankfully, a large amount of these records has been preserved in archival collections in Germany and the United States. My book is based largely on this material, the bulk of which remains unpublished (and only available in German in the original script), and has not previously been examined by historians of the American Revolutionary War.

I previously published some of my research on British, American and German responses to Britain’s decision to hire German soldiers in the war against the Americans in Early American Studies 13 (1), (Winter 2015), pp. 111-150; and in the Journal for Eighteenth Century Studies 38 (3), (September 2015): 443-458. You can read the essays here: