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Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben

Washington, Italy

Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben

Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben is a bronze statue of Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian soldier who assisted the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War. Steuben had fought in previous wars, earning promotions until he assisted in the courts of Frederick the Great

and later Josef Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. After meeting with Benjamin Franklin, and fearing for his safety in Europe after alleged homosexual behavior, Steuben and his associates arrived to help the Continental Army. He met General George Washington at Valley Forge, where he helped turn the army there into one that was capable to fight. Steuben assisted with the Southern Campaign and Siege of Yorktown, after which the American forces were successful in winning the war. Steuben was given land and later retired in New York, where he died in 1794. In the late 1890s, plans were made to erect statues in Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C., honoring foreign heroes. An Act of Congress passed in 1903 led to the eventual erection of the statue honoring Steuben in 1910. It was sculpted by Albert Jaegers with assistance in the design of the base by Cass Gilbert and T. R. Johnson...

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