Getting Dressed | 18th Century German Jaeger Uniform

In this episode of “Getting Dressed“ our host Samantha takes a deeper look at the uniforms and equipment of some of the German soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Her guest this episode is Andrew who discusses the role of soldiers recruited in the Hesse-Cassel region of present day Germany. Over 30,000 ethnic Germans served on both sides of the American Revolutionary War and while many supported the Loyalist cause and served as allies of Great Britain, whose King George III, other Germans came to assist the rebelling American patriots. Because the majority of German troops came from Hessen, Americans sometimes refer to all German troops generically as “Hessians“. Hesse-Cassel signed a treaty of alliance with Great-Britain to supply fifteen regiments, four grenadier battalions, two Jäger companies, and three companies of artillery. The Jägers, in particular, were carefully recruited and well paid, well clothed, and free from manual labor.