Steuben Society of America

Pastorius Unit #38

Pastorius Unit #38 is a proud member of the Steuben Society of America.

About Us

Steuben Society of America

Founded in May 1919 in New York City by a group of patriotic German-Americans, the organization was established during a period of intense anti-German sentiment following World War I.

The founders' primary goals were to educate the public on the contributions of German-Americans, foster civic pride and good citizenship, and preserve ethnic heritage while promoting values of tolerance, duty, justice, and charity.

The society is named after Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the Prussian officer and Continental Army Inspector General who played a vital role in the American Revolutionary War. Recruited by Benjamin Franklin, von Steuben is famously credited with training troops at Valley Forge—an effort General Washington deemed essential to the American victory.

Featured Historical Figures

Washington_and_Lafayette_at_Valley_Forge

The Unlikely Making of an Army at Valley Forge, 1777-1778

It was the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, and General George Washington

despaired that “unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place. this army must inevitably starve, dissolve or disperse.”

The Founding of Germantown, PA (1683)

Two distinguished individuals deserve the credit for the remarkable founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1683. Foremost among them is William Penn (1644—1718), the son of a wealthy aristocratic English family, English writer, theologian, a Quaker by faith, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.

The Story of the Drill Manual

In the winter of 1777–1778, the Continental Army faced one of the darkest periods of the American Revolution at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The soldiers suffered from freezing temperatures, hunger, disease, and a lack of proper clothing and supplies. Morale was low, and many doubted whether the army could survive.