Jon Rodgers Jr., age 16, of Dotham, Ala., for his question:

WHO WERE THE HESSIANS?

Hessian was a name given to the 30,000 German soldiers hired by the British to fight against the colonists during the Revolutionary War in America. They were called Hessians because many of them came from Hesse Kassel, which is now Hesse, Germany.

The Hessians were victims of a European system by which governments sold men into military service. They were paid about  25 cents a day. Princes who sold their services pocketed large bonuses from the British government.

The Hessians were not particularly interested in the war, but they were well trained and fought well. Their performance in the battles of Long Island, Fort Washington, Brandywine, Newport and Charleston caused the American troops to know and respect their fighting ability.

The defeat of the Hessians at Trenton on Dec. 26, 1776 , boosted American morale.

Some Hessians were won over to the American cause and deserted the British army: Many remained in the United States after the war.