Kosciuszko, Tadeusz, << `kos` ee UHS koh or kawsh CHOOSH kaw, tah `deh` oosh >> (1746-1817), was a Polish patriot who fought for the independence of the United States and Poland. He is often called the “Hero of Two Worlds.” His name is also spelled Thaddeus Kosciuszko.
Kosciuszko was born on Feb. 12, 1746, in what is now western Belarus. He went to America in the summer of 1776, during the Revolutionary War in America. He offered his services to the Continental Congress and was appointed engineer with the rank of colonel. He built fortifications near Saratoga and strengthened American defenses along the Hudson River, including those at West Point. After the war ended in 1783, Congress made Kosciuszko a brigadier general.
Kosciuszko returned to Poland in 1784. In 1794, he commanded a Polish insurrection (uprising) against Russian control. In this struggle, he combined Poland’s fight for independence with the people’s struggle for social justice. The defeat of the insurrection led to the third partition (division) of Poland by Russia, Prussia, and Austria. He died on Oct. 15, 1817. See Poland (The partitions).
