Hessian (soldiers)

Hessian (soldiers)

The Hessians ( /ˈhɛʃən/) were 18th-century German soldiers hired through their rulers by the British Empire. About 30,000 German soldiers served in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War; nearly half were from the Hesse region of Germany; the others came from similar small German states. In the context of the British service, they were all referred to as "Hessians." The American colonists called them mercenaries.

They were hired in units, not as individuals. They received wages but the prince of their respective states received most of the funds; Britain found it easier to borrow money to pay for their service than to recruit its own soldiers.

The British used the Hessians in several conflicts, including in Ireland, but they are most widely associated with combat operations in the American Revolutionary War. They provided extensive manpower to support the American Loyalist cause. The pro-independence side made propaganda use of the fact that the soldiers were non-British mercenaries. They also offered them land bounties to desert and join the Americans. Several German units were placed on garrison duty in the British Isles to free up British regulars for service in North America.