Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, VA
Home MenuPeople of the Past
History is a human journey shaped by the diverse experiences of people. The People of the Past collection provides teachers with curated biographical essays leveled to elementary and secondary readers, educational videos and relevant primary sources. Bring the past to life in your classroom through the lens of those who lived it.
Use the pull-down menu below to narrow the list by time period and other variables.
Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben - Prussian Army Officer (1730-1794)
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was a former officer from Prussia (now part of Germany), who had military experience and knew how to train soldiers. After meeting Benjamin Franklin in France, Von Steuben was invited to help the American cause. In 1778, he traveled to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where General George Washington’s army was camped for the winter. Despite speaking little English, Von Steuben became Inspector General of the Continental Army. This meant he was in charge of making sure the army followed rules and trained properly. With the help of a translator, he began working with a small group of about 100 soldiers.
Von Steuben taught the soldiers basic military skills including how to march in step, follow orders, use their weapons correctly, and take care of their uniforms. Once the group he trained learned the necessary skills, they took what they learned and taught the other men in their units. Little by little, the whole army became more organized and better prepared. Within a few months, Steuben had turned the poorly-equipped and poorly-trained men into an army able to stand up to the British.
Von Steuben_Secondary Reader and Questions
Von Steuben_Elementary Reader and Questions
Blue Book Info and Excerpts_Camp Communicaton
Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
This resource is funded in part by a grant from the
Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program.