Thread by @KKriegeBlog

Over the last 15 years, Friedrich Wilhelm, Freiherr de Steuben ("Baron von Steuben") has been widely described as an openly gay founding father. This week, an illustrated biography appeared exploring this.
So was he openly gay? Maybe.
I think you should know a few things. 1/29

First; I'm a history professor at a small religious college where Steuben is the mascot. His sexuality is controversial on campus.
Second, I'm a historian of 18th century America and Prussia. I've done the research in English, French and German in Steuben's papers. 2/29

I like to think that I try to set my biases aside when I approach the past, but the reality is we all explore the past through our own experiences. My goal in the post isn't to offend anyone: either folks who claim Steuben as America's gay founding father, or my students. 3/29

This is a controversial and politically charged topic: I'm going to try and explore it as respectfully as possible.
So was he openly gay?
Mark Segal has written on Steuben and his place in American history as a gay man. It sure looks that way at first. 4/29

In the early days of 1780, Steuben wrote to his young "friend" Benjamin Walker, stating, "I expect you with the impatience of a lover for his mistress..." It would seem, then, that there is some evidence that Steuben lived his life as a gay man. 5/29

However, Steuben continues that sentence: "... or to speak without figures, all the sentiments of true friendship." This ambiguity is often lost in writings which argue that Steuben lived his life as an openly gay. Steuben was Prussian, and served in the Prussian army. 6/29

In the course of his service in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years War, Steuben met Frederick II ("the Great") of Prussia, who was likely gay, and his brother, Prince Henry of Prussia, who was certainly gay. Both were unhappily married. 7/29

Prince Henry had a series of famous male lovers. Thus, it is highly likely that Steuben experienced (and possibly took an active part in) a queer subculture in the Prussian army. In 1778, Steuben came to America as a result of leaving the court of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. 8/29

He was dismissed from his position at this court as a result of accusations that he had "taken familiarities with young boys which the laws forbid and punish severely." This is not a reference to homosexual relations between adults (also punishable) but pedophilia. 9/29

As I will discuss below using archival evidence, I think these accusations are baseless, and that Steuben was not a pedophile. Upon his arrival in North America, Steuben formed close and potentially sexual relationships with many men. They included: 10/29

Pierre Duponceau and John W. Mulligan, his secretaries, Benjamin Walker and William North, his aides, and Charles Adams, John Adam's son.hese men lived with Steuben, and he left his worldly goods and property to some of them upon his death. Most of the evidence... 11/29

...for Steuben's homosexuality comes out of the extremely emotional and occasionally erotic language which Steuben used in correspondence with his two best friends in North America: Benjamin Walker, and William North. 12/29

Mark Segal argues that the only shred of evidence which points to the idea that Steuben formed romantic relationships with women is that Steuben had a miniature portrait of a beautiful woman, and was touchy when asked about it. This is true and it isn't. 13/29

Steuben playfully noted in a letter to an officer before the Seven Years War, "I am more gallant with the ladies than my master [Frederick II]." Correspondence indicates that Steuben gave permission to set him up with a daughter of a friend, but nothing came of the match. 14/29

Steuben was clearly familiar with standards of female beauty, and was not shy about telling his friends (even friends who are often said to be gay) that beautiful women were present. In the same letter to Walker above, as an incentive to come and visit him, Steuben writes: 15/29

"You will find there a young widow, and a lady from New York with a beautiful waist, a reason the more for you to hasten your departure." This seems to indicate that Steuben was aware that Walker possessed a sexual interest in young women. Aides noted Steuben's flirting: 16/29

"In the company of ladies, the baron always appeared to peculiar advantage...the baron was introduced to a Miss Sheaf , an amiable and interesting young lady “I am very happy , " said he , "in the honor of being presented to you , mademoiselle..." 17/29

"...though I see it is at an infinite risk; I have from my youth been cautioned to guard myself against mischief , but I had no idea that her attractions were so powerful." Steuben's secretary, Pierre-Étienne du Ponceau, is often framed as Steuben's sexual companion... 18/29

...during his trip to North America, with one publication calling him "his pretty young French secretary." Duponceau himself seemed rather attached to young women, he made and kept a pledge to kiss the first girl he met in America, and was infatuated with Sally Duane. 19/29

Duponceau himself was only seventeen, and his notebook was filled Sally's name written in a number of different scripts. In the same notebook, poems mention Sally's name frequently. If Duponceau and Steuben possessed a romantic relationship, it was not an exclusive one. 20/29

Is there any evidence to support the contemporary charges that Steuben was a pedophile? Fortunately, the evidence against Steuben is very slight, and I can particularly add to this part of the conversation based upon my research. 21/29

The only reference to this charge comes from an indignant letter sent by a supporter of Steuben to his former employer, Prinz Josef of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. 3 years later, Steuben's friend Hoevel, still at court, wrote to ensure Steuben of his continued friendship. 22/29

After 5 years, Prinz Josef himself wrote to assure Steuben that both he and his wife had only ever thought the best of Steuben, and that he had their continued friendship. Considering the extreme nature of the charges against Steuben, it seems unlikely that these letters... 23/29

would have been written if Steuben had been seriously suspected of these crimes. Thus, aside from the accusation, there is no evidence to support the claim that Steuben was a pedophile, and indeed, there is evidence to suggest that people did not take it very seriously. 24/29

In conclusion: there a range of possibilities. It is possible that Steuben was asexual, as there is no clear evidence that he engaged in sexual relationships with anyone throughout his life, unlike court cases I have examined dealing with 18th cent. gays in the military. 25/29

It is also possible that Steuben was heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. The simple fact is that there is not clear evidence to definitively understand Steuben's sexual preferences. 26/29

Steuben may have been gay, but the standards of the time dictated that he could never have been openly gay. Finally, don’t roll into this thread assuming I’m coming at this from a political angle. 27/29

In my scholarly work, I try to be as apolitical as possible, and if new solid evidence emerges; I’ll be the first to say that this view was wrong and change my position. Evidence must lead us, not what we want the past to be. 28/29

As always, if you want the full post, you can read it here, with citations for all the quotes: .
Also, stop calling him “von”, he preferred “de.” 29/29kabinettskriege.blogspot.com/2019/11/was-ge…

@Boston1775 When hard evidence was forthcoming, homosexuality and pedophilia were usually prosecuted swiftly in German Central Europe during the 18th century, unless the individual in question was relatively untouchable (Frederick and Henry).

@Boston1775 In the era of FW1, Katherina M. Linck is beheaded for dressing as a male soldier and marrying another woman.

@KevinGutzman We are really quite used to this idea: We call Baron de Kalb "de Kalb", not von Kalb.

@Boston1775 And not just errors (imo) regarding things like Duponceau's sexuality, but also errors like saying soldiers measured out powder for each musket shot. Its not 1610 anymore.