WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The term “Hessians” refers to the approximately 30, 000 German troops hired by the British to help fight during the American Revolution. They were principally drawn from the German state of Hesse-Cassel, although soldiers from other German states also saw action in America.

Detailed explanation-2: -In all, 30, 000 Hessians fought for the British during the Revolutionary War, but they weren’t bloodthirsty “mercenaries” motivated by greed, says Friederike Baer, a history professor at Penn State Abington, and author of Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War.

Detailed explanation-3: -General Washington’s Continental Army had crossed the Delaware River to make a surprise attack on the Hessians in the early morning of December 26, 1776.

Detailed explanation-4: -Because the majority of soldiers were supplied by the territories of Hessen-Kassel and Hessen-Hanau, the label “Hessian” has been used since the 1770s to describe all German troops in British service in North America, regardless of place of origin.

Detailed explanation-5: -To alleviate this, the princes of the small German states often hired out their armies to supplement their income. German troops saw combat during the War of Spanish Succession from 1701-1714 fighting for Prince Eugene of Savoy (Italy) and during the Jacobite Rebellion in 1715 fighting for Great Britain under George I.