Explanation: The Prussian military officer Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben was an instrumental part of the victory of the American Revolution. Fleeing Europe on sodomy charges (with the assistance of Ben Franklin, who puffed up Von Steuben’s credentials a little to Congress), he arrived at Valley Forge to find a freezing, demoralized, untrained Continental Army that was totally unready to fight a modern war. As the only person in the whole goddamn Continental Army with a hint of professional training, he was tasked with whipping the Continentals into shape - and whip them into shape he did!
One facet noted of this was that Von Steuben initially spoke almost no English - but the first English words he learned were profanity, so that he could curse at the troops in three languages (already knowing French and German) when they fucked up. The troops actually loved that - not for the rebuke, but because it let them know he was a ‘rough’, soldierly fellow, not some aristocrat with military rank as a sinecure. The drill manual he wrote (over the course of a week, then translated into English by an aide) would remain immensely influential on the American military for decades to come. Because of his drilling, the Continental Army, despite the mythology around the American ‘minuteman’, would become the most useful force of the American Revolution, able to stand toe-to-toe against professional British redcoats.
Von Steuben appeared to have embraced the republican ethos of the American Revolution wholeheartedly - he became an enemy of noble privilege and plutocracy, writing scathing attacks against oligarchy in state governments. He retired to a nice house in New York, attended Washington’s inauguration, and left much of his estate to his two (ahem ahem) ‘adopted sons’ who were both officers he met during the American Revolution.
Well, they were almost certainly Von Steuben’s ‘roommates’ for a time. Besties, even.
Von Steuben was about as openly gay as one could be in the period, and adoption was a common way for gay men of the period to establish legal ties with significant others, since gay marriage wasn’t an option. I believe both of them went on to marry women, though Von Steuben remained close with them. Von Steuben had other ‘intense’ relationships with men after the war, though which were friendly and which were romantic is not always certain.
Von Steuben never married nor had any known affairs with women, despite being very active in refined social circles all throughout his life.
Also, he had a dinner party during the war wherein the officers invited were to show up naked. Just guys bein’ guys!
Kinda glossed over the “fled Prussia and then also France under accusations of homosexual and pedophilic activities” didn’t ya?
His career in Prussia was tanked over Prussia downsizing its army after a series of successful wars.
An anonymous accusation of pedophilia (and an accusation that was imprecise in its wording by modern standards, in the spirit of the 18th century ‘enjoying’ the same punishment for sodomy between adult men as an adult man molesting a boy) against a man who was all-but-openly gay tanked his reputation and chance of employment in Baden, which caused him to return to France.
The French court was actively calling for the investigation when Franklin ferried him away. The dude spent the rest of his life living with men who were a good deal younger than him.
The French court was actively calling for the investigation when Franklin ferried him away.
I am unaware of any hostile involvement of the French court, considering that it was exactly Von Steuben’s positive connections at the French court which made him go to France in the first place.
The dude spent the rest of his life living with men who were a good deal younger than him.
Yeah, that’s different from accusations of pedophilia.
Explanation: The Prussian military officer Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben was an instrumental part of the victory of the American Revolution. Fleeing Europe on sodomy charges (with the assistance of Ben Franklin, who puffed up Von Steuben’s credentials a little to Congress), he arrived at Valley Forge to find a freezing, demoralized, untrained Continental Army that was totally unready to fight a modern war. As the only person in the whole goddamn Continental Army with a hint of professional training, he was tasked with whipping the Continentals into shape - and whip them into shape he did!
One facet noted of this was that Von Steuben initially spoke almost no English - but the first English words he learned were profanity, so that he could curse at the troops in three languages (already knowing French and German) when they fucked up. The troops actually loved that - not for the rebuke, but because it let them know he was a ‘rough’, soldierly fellow, not some aristocrat with military rank as a sinecure. The drill manual he wrote (over the course of a week, then translated into English by an aide) would remain immensely influential on the American military for decades to come. Because of his drilling, the Continental Army, despite the mythology around the American ‘minuteman’, would become the most useful force of the American Revolution, able to stand toe-to-toe against professional British redcoats.
Von Steuben appeared to have embraced the republican ethos of the American Revolution wholeheartedly - he became an enemy of noble privilege and plutocracy, writing scathing attacks against oligarchy in state governments. He retired to a nice house in New York, attended Washington’s inauguration, and left much of his estate to his two (ahem ahem) ‘adopted sons’ who were both officers he met during the American Revolution.
Goddamn that’s cool
One of his great-grandchildren was Gunnery Sergeant Hartman
This is fascinating. Were his adopted sons ‘roommates’?
Well, they were almost certainly Von Steuben’s ‘roommates’ for a time. Besties, even.
Von Steuben was about as openly gay as one could be in the period, and adoption was a common way for gay men of the period to establish legal ties with significant others, since gay marriage wasn’t an option. I believe both of them went on to marry women, though Von Steuben remained close with them. Von Steuben had other ‘intense’ relationships with men after the war, though which were friendly and which were romantic is not always certain.
Von Steuben never married nor had any known affairs with women, despite being very active in refined social circles all throughout his life.
Also, he had a dinner party during the war wherein the officers invited were to show up naked. Just guys bein’ guys!
Yeah, definitely as gay as you could be for the time!
I wonder how many officers showed up naked. Maybe a few awakened something
Kinda glossed over the “fled Prussia and then also France under accusations of homosexual and pedophilic activities” didn’t ya?
His career in Prussia was tanked over Prussia downsizing its army after a series of successful wars.
An anonymous accusation of pedophilia (and an accusation that was imprecise in its wording by modern standards, in the spirit of the 18th century ‘enjoying’ the same punishment for sodomy between adult men as an adult man molesting a boy) against a man who was all-but-openly gay tanked his reputation and chance of employment in Baden, which caused him to return to France.
He didn’t flee France.
The French court was actively calling for the investigation when Franklin ferried him away. The dude spent the rest of his life living with men who were a good deal younger than him.
I am unaware of any hostile involvement of the French court, considering that it was exactly Von Steuben’s positive connections at the French court which made him go to France in the first place.
Yeah, that’s different from accusations of pedophilia.