Openly Gay Revolutionary War Hero, Baron Friedrich von Steuben

🏳️‍🌈Did you know that Morristown NHP has a famous Revolutionary War LGTBQIA+ connection?

General Friedrich von Steuben, who is credited with maintaining the morale and discipline of the soldiers at the encampment at Morristown, was openly gay.

In 2018, artist Josh Trujillo wrote an illustrated piece for The Nib, entitle "The American Revolution's Greatest Leader was Openly Gay."

During Pride 2018, history.com featured the famous openly gay Revolutionary War hero. “Gay men have always been part of the American military. In an era before gay marriage or open pride, military men fell in love, formed passionate friendships and had same-sex encounters. Due to social and official discrimination, though, most of their stories have gone untold. But in the case of one of the military’s founding heroes, homosexuality was always part of the story."

“Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian military man hired by George Washington to whip the Continental Army into shape during the darkest days of the Revolutionary War, is known for his bravery and the discipline and grit he brought to the American troops. Historians also think he was homosexual—and served as an openly gay man in the military at a time when sex between men was punished as a crime.“ ‘Though his name is little known among Americans today,’ writes Erick Trickey for Smithsonian, ‘every U.S. soldier is indebted to von Steuben—he created America’s professional army.’” 

History.com, “The Revolutionary War Hero Who Was Openly Gay”

#pride #vonsteuben 

Image credit Josh Trujillo