The Real Story of the American Revolution 

Europeans other than French and Spanish

Latest Changes: 07Aug25 - Germanic states specified / 07Dec09 - note on Christmas trees / 08May19 - Germanic residents of the U.S. /

Several European nations that were not directly engaged in the American Revolution
provided assistance to one side (U.S.) or the other (Great Britain).
Dutch colonies in the Caribbean Sea sold arms and other supplies to the U.S.
Many officers who served in other European armies came to America
in response to the U.S. need for trained and experienced military officers.

Other Europeans People from many parts of Europe that had not recognized the U.S. as an independent nation became involved with the American Revolution by volunteering to serve in the U.S. military, by serving with the French or Spanish military, by helping provide military supplies to the U.S. military, etc. Many immigrants from these nations also supported the side of liberty. They are often grouped with their European counterparts in discussions of ethnic contributions to the U.S. stuggle for liberty and independence.

Overview of the Germanic States  After 962 A.D. (after Charlemange) central Europe was organized as a confederation called the Holy Roman Empire. It was made up of large, medium, and small political units (ruled by kings, princes, and dukes) -- each with its own laws and flag. The affairs of the confederation were guided through the influence (political, trade, and military) of an emperor -- typically the ruler of one of the most powerful states -- who obtained the position through succession (as eldest son of the previous emperor) or aggression (after battles between the armies of rival leaders). Although its composition and leadership changed considerably over the centuries this confederation provided a forum for negotiating agreements and resolving differences. The people had litle voice in this. Several wars of succession had ruined the countryside, and many thousands of German-speaking people fled to America to seek a better life. At the time of the American Revolution the remnants of the Holy Roman Empire covered roughly the area of present-day Poland, Germany, Austria, so it was no longer Roman. The Protestant reformation has taken place in the 1500s, so the area was no longer Catholic. It was falling apart, and the emperor (Joseph II of Austria) was weak. King Frederick II of Prussia ("Frederick the Great") had built a strong army and an efficient government. In 1778 Prussia and Austria sent troops into Bavaria to gain control after its ruler died. No battles were fought, and in 1779 the dispute ended, but all of this diverted the attention of the largest Germanic states away from the war for independence taking place in the United States. Thus, in 1776 there was no nation called Germany, and the many small political units made up of people who spoke German had no coordinated policy relative to the United States. This Web site will generally refer to people from Europe who have Germanic surnames (Bauer, Schmidt, etc.) as Germanic (as an ethnic designation) rather than German (as a nationality designation). When a military roster lists someone named Schmidt who was borne in Alsace we do not know what language(s) he spoke, and we do not know whether he was satisfied to be the subject of the king of France or he wished he could emigrate to one of the many small political units in the "Holy Roman Empire". In the American colonies residents of Germanic origin made up one-third of Pennsylvania's population and considerable portions of the populations in the Shenandoah Valley (western VA, NC, SC) the Mohawk Valley of New York the Raritan Valley of New Jersey areas near Savannah, Georgia Many of these Germanic immigrants remained neutral during the American Revolution, either because they belonged to pacifist religious sects (Amish, Mennonite) or because they were grateful to Great Britain for providing an opportunity to emmigrate to America and have better lives here. Most came from the southern Germanic states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Swabia, or Salzburg. They spoke southern German dialects that were quite different from the dialects spoken by the soldiers from Hesse-Cassel who were part of the British forces during the American Revolution. Germanics Affiliated with France Ethnic Heritage - The Germans [The SAR Magazine for Spring 2001], by Garrett Jackson (California Society SAR) [not posted] Some Germanic rulers were affiliated with France. The Duke of Zweibrücken (which in French is "Deux Ponts" and in English is "Two Bridges") had a regiment which was recruited from the area around the city of Zweibrücken. For many years prior to the American Revolution he had leased his regiment to serve as a part of the French army. Many of the officers were from metropolitan France and not from the Zweibrucken area. The individuals who came from the Zweibrucken area may be called Germanics, but the unit was a French regiment since it was a part of the French army, operating under direction from the French government and not that of Zweibrucken. See the Régiment Royal Deux Ponts listing under France. Some Germanics who were not subjects of the king of France joined French military units that were designed to attract foreign volunteers. One of these units was Lauzun's Legion of Foreign Volunteers. About 85% of the soldiers in this regiment were from metropolitan France and 15% from other parts of Europe. See the Volontaires Étrangers de Lauzun listing under France. Many soldiers who had Germanic surnames lived in metropolitan France and might be called either French or Germanic French. Soldiers with Germanic names who served in the Expédition Particulière (French Expeditionary Force) (1780-1783) under Gen. Rochambeau may be cited as patriot ancestors on applications for membership in the SAR. Germanics Affiliated with England Great Britain's king, George 3rd, was the Elector of the province of Hanover, and the Hanover Regiment was assimilated directly into the British Army. In 1776 the British parliament paid 4.6 million pounds to purchase from the leaders of six other Germanic states the services of 30,000 soldiers to serve in America. Note that this is more troops than the Continental Army ever had under arms. These soldiers are often called "mercenaries" because their own nation was not at war in America and they were not subjects of the nation that was paying them to fight. These soldiers are often referred to as "Hessians" because the two Hesse states provided 65% of the troops. A Contribution to U.S. Culture: Hessian troops brought the Christmas tree to the American Colonies during the Revolutionary War. President Franklin Pierce arraigned to have the first Christmas tree in the White House during the mid-1850s and in 1923 President Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn. [Submitted by J. M. Jones (AZSSAR)] State Sent Here Went Home Stayed Here Hesse Cassel 16,992 10,492  6,500 Brunswick  5,723  2,708  3,015 Anspach - Bayreuth  2,353  1,175  1,178 Hesse Hannau  2,422  1,441    981 Waldeck  1,225    505    720 Anhalt Zerbst  1,160    992    168 Totals 29,875 17,313 12,562 Of those that did not return to Europe 7,754 died (26%) -- mostly of disease -- and 4,808 (16%) remained in America -- most by desertion or capture. About 1,000 of these later went to Canada. The senior commanders of the Germanic forces were General von Heister to 1777, General Knypyhausen to 1782, and General von Lossberg to 1783. REF: See the RSAR bibliography entry for Boatner, Encyclopedia of the American Revolution Archival Resource: The Library of the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution, in Louisville KY, houses two major collections of information related to "Hessian" troops. John H. Mertz's research papers and all thirty of his books, including The Hessians of Nova Scotia (German Canadian Historical Book Publ., Hamilton, Ontario, 1994). These books give details of the military service and the lives of thousands of Hessian soldiers. Bruce Burgoyne's publications -- translations of 35 major Hessian documents. Lengthy summaries of each book (and purchase links) are posted at his personal Web site which also has photos of and links to Hessian re-enactment units. OPTING FOR LIBERTY: When the "Hessian" soldiers were captured or deserted they were often given the option to fight for American independence instead of being imprisoned (and possibly exchanged to return home). Many agreed to change sides and to fight for American independence. Most of those who changed sides stayed in the United States after the war. Germanic soldiers who served under British command, deserted or were captured, and then chose to fight for the cause of American independence, may be cited as patriot ancestors on applications for membership in the SAR. Those who did not change sides were imprisoned, but many of these were released to work as farm laborers in German-speaking areas. In some cases a prisoner would marry the fathers' daughter or the prison guard's sister at the end of the war. Germanic Officers on the British side (including staff officers) who were serving in America in 1782, are listed(arranged by regiments) on a ZIP file that can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.xmission.com/pub/users/j/jayhall/britmil.zip [Jay Hall, copyright 1990] This file includes British and Loyalist officers. The Johannes Schwalm Historical Association, Inc. has posted several registries of "Hessians" who remained in America after the Revolutionary War: Researched Soldiers Partially Researched Soldiers Open Investigations

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The SAR Magazine published a series of articles on Ethnic Heritage to describe the contributions to U.S. independence made by people from many European communities: The Dutch in Summer 2002, by Peter K. Goebel (Empire State Society SAR) The article on The Hungarians in Spring 2003 requires corrections. The Italians in Spring 2004, by Larry McClanahan (Tennessee Society SAR) "Italian Patriots", by D. Lickliter, p 44-48 in American Spirit for 2006 Nov/Dec -- notes that there were many autonomous Italian states during 1775-85. Because their alliances were split between Great Britain and France and Spain they avoided commitment to either side on the issue of U.S. independence. Several Italian-born residents of the U.S. played major roles in the struggle for U.S. independence: -- Francis Vigo (from Mondovi), a trader in St. Louis (now a city in Missouri), supplied vital information about and liaison with local French and Indian residents and also loaned money to George Rogers Clark to pay his troops and to buy supplies. Vigo county in Indiana was named in his honor. -- Philip Mazzei (from Tuscany) was appointed as a U.S. representative to solicit funding from Tuscany (unfortunately unsuccessfully). Several units in the French army had Italian names and were likely made up mainly of soldiers from Italy -- the Royal Italien, Piedmont, and Perche regiments. They were not part of the expeditionary forces in the U.S. but served in the worldwide conflict that prevented British forces from focusing on the U.S. mainland. The Poles in Spring 2002, by George E. Thurmond (Georgia Society SAR) The Swedes in Summer 2001, by William B. Neal (Delaware Society SAR) The Swiss in Fall 2003, by T. Fisher Craft (Georgia Society SAR)

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