What is Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States?
{{italictitle}} The '''''Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States''''' or '''''Blue Book''''' is an American army book from the [[Revolutionary War]]. It is about how to teach soldiers to be good soldiers. [[Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben]] wrote the first version in 1777 and 1778 at [[Valley Forge]]. [[George Washington]], [[Alexander Hamilton]] and other officers in the [[Continental Army]] helped. Von Steuben rewrote the book a year later.<ref name=NPS>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/vafo/learn/historyculture/vonsteuben.htm|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=December 31, 2020|title=General von Steuben}}</ref><ref name=King>{{cite web|url=https://kingsarmspress.com/product/regulation-for-the-order-and-discipline-of-the-troops-of-the-united-states-philadelphia-1779/|access-date=January 1, 2021|title=Regulation for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, Philadelphia|publisher=King Arms Press}}</ref><ref name=Am>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/masterpieces-in-detail/steuben-regulations/|title=Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States by Friedrich Wilhelm Steuben|publisher=American Revolution Institute|access-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref> At Valley Forge in the winter of 1777–1778, Acting Inspector General von Steuben saw that many Continental officers gave their men different drills. Drills are practice exercises. Using different drills meant the men might become confused in a real battle. Von Steuben wrote new drills for the whole army. He wrote them [[French language|French]]. His aide-de-camp, Pierre Ettienne Duponceau, and George Washington's aides-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton and [[John Laurens]] rewrote them in English. General [[George Washington]] would read the drills and make changes.<ref name=Am /> They gave each lesson to the officers one at a time. Then the officers or their helpers made their own copies. Then van Steuben and the officers would use the drills with t