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Secondary sourceDocument1900

Steuben entry, Appletons' Cyclopaedia of American Biography

Joel Tyler Headley · 1900

A 1900 biographical dictionary entry summarizing Steuben's Prussian military career and his later service with the Continental Army.

This is a secondary biographical account of Steuben's life, summarizing his military career and legacy.

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About this source

What it is

This is an entry on Baron von Steuben from Appletons' Cyclopaedia of American Biography, a reference work published in 1900 by D. Appleton and Co. It was written by Joel Tyler Headley.

Why it matters

The entry summarizes Steuben's life from his birth in Prussia through his military education, his service in the Seven Years' War, and his eventual role in training the Continental Army. It shows how, over a century after his death, Steuben was remembered as an important figure in American history, blending his European military background with his American legacy.

Look closer

  • What details does the entry focus on from Steuben's early life, and why might those be included?
  • How does this source differ from a firsthand account, such as a letter or diary?
  • What biases might exist in a biography written more than a hundred years after the subject's death?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Friedrich von Steuben on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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