The Revolutionary General’s Secret Life: A Strange Party Rule That Sparked Whispers of His True Identity
Public DomainBaron von Steuben transformed the Continental Army through strict discipline and standardized drills.
Regardless, it should be noted that standards of sexuality were different at the time, and many behaviors that one might consider to be queer- or gay-coded today were not seen as such in the era.
For example, it was fairly common for men to share a bed with each other, especially when traveling or in tight quarters. John Adams once famously slept in the same bed as Benjamin Franklin, though they spent much of the night arguing about whether they should sleep with the window open or closed.
There are also many instances of men writing to each other in language that could be described as romantic today but would not strike a reader as such at the time. Male friends would often employ a broad emotional vocabulary to express same-sex love, including love that could be physically affectionate. However, this love was not necessarily romantic or erotic.
This is not to say that same-sex love and relationships did not exist. Rather, it simply shows how perceptions of what it meant to be gay and what constituted “queer” behavior have changed dramatically over the years. Where this becomes problematic is in historical study, as it can be tempting to project modern conceptions of sexuality onto people who had an entirely different idea of what the word means.
What can be said definitively is that many of Baron Friedrich von Steuben’s behaviors and actions have led historians to believe that he expressed attraction to — and potentially had relationships with — other men. Still, given that sodomy was a criminal act at the time, it’s a stretch to say that he was “openly gay,” even as his behavior was seemingly known and tolerated by many of his compatriots.
All That’s Interesting reached out to Brodey via email and Instagram direct message.
After reading about the purported homosexuality of Baron Friedrich von Steuben, explore the debate about whether President Abraham Lincoln was gay. Then, learn how the Stonewall Riots changed the course of queer history forever.
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