Hessian auxiliaries

E19712

Hessian auxiliaries were German troops hired by the British Crown to fight against the American revolutionaries during the American Revolutionary War.

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf German soldiers
auxiliary troops
allegiance British Crown
casualties thousands killed, wounded, or captured
commander Friedrich Wilhelm von Lossberg
Johann Rall
Leopold Philip de Heister
Wilhelm von Knyphausen
conflict American Revolutionary War
countryOfOrigin Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
surface form: Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Landgraviate of Hesse-Hanau
Hesse-Kassel
surface form: Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel

Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst
Principality of Waldeck
distinctionFrom British regular army
employer Kingdom of Great Britain
endTime 1783
governingTreaty subsidy treaties with Hesse-Kassel
subsidy treaties with other German princes
imageInPropaganda portrayed as foreign mercenaries
language German
legacy many soldiers settled in North America after the war
term "Hessian" became generic in America for German soldiers fighting for Britain
legalStatus auxiliaries hired by treaty
militaryTheater Middle Colonies
Northern theater of the American Revolutionary War
Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War
notableEngagement Battle of Fort Washington
Battle of Long Island
Battle of Trenton
Battle of White Plains
Saratoga campaign
notableEvent capture at the Battle of Trenton in 1776
opponent American revolutionaries
Continental Army
opposedBy Patriot propagandists in the Thirteen Colonies
politicalContext German princes rented out troops to raise revenue
recruitmentMethod conscription
impressment
voluntary enlistment
religion Protestantism
role artillery
dragoons
grenadiers
infantry
jäger light infantry
startTime 1776
strength approximately 30,000 soldiers
timePeriod 1776–1783
usedBy British Army

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.