Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Steuben of Prussia, otherwise known as Baron von Steuben, was an aide to Frederick the Great. During the American Revolution, he offered his services to the American cause and was appointed inspector general of the Continental Army. George Washington asked Steuben to create a manual of drill instruction for the Continental Army, and in 1779, Congress adopted Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States. Largely printed on blue paper-covered boards, Regulations became informally known as the “Blue Book.” Its influence on the Continental Army was transformative. This video, Year in Revolution 1778: The Blue Book studies America’s foreign-sourced and natively produced armaments and artillery, and how America developed its tactics relative to the art of war. Featured video topics were suggested by our national network of Master Teachers Seminar alumni.
The Year in Revolution Series was produced with classroom use in mind. Beginning with 1775 and ending with 1783, students and lifelong learners alike will learn about each year of the Revolution through a comprehensive overview video and five “who, what, where, when, and how” videos. The animated series draws heavily from the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati’s library and museum collections.
Funding for theYear in Revolution 1778: The Blue Book was made possible by a grant from the George S. Rich Family Foundation. The creative team for this series was assembled by the American Revolution Institute and the talented educational production leads at Makematic Limited.
View all our 1775, 1776, 1777, and 1778 series episodes at www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org or subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
Learn about our current Anderson House exhibition celebrating our Revolutionary Beginnings 250 years later!