was barron von steuben gay? a while ago someone told me he was and he was kicked out of the army because of it
Here, I made a presentation that includes this. But yes! He was gay!
Baron von Steuben was one of the first cases of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.“
Benjamin Franklin learned of a "brilliant Prussian” military genius, Lt. Gen. Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, who had a string of successes across Germanic Europe. There was a problem- he’d been asked to depart many of those states and countries because of his “affections for members of his own sex,”.
Then in 1777 von Steuben literally escaped imprisonment in what is now Germany and traveled to Paris. There, Franklin was interviewing candidates to assist Washington back in the colonies when his fellow Colonial representative Silas Deane brought von Steuben to his residence for an interview.
During the process, Franklin discovered von Steuben’s reputation for having “affections” with males and the issue became pressing, as members of the French clergy demanded the French court, as in other countries, take action against this sodomite, whom they considered a pedophile.
Those allegations were fueled by von Steuben’s close ties to Prince Henry and Frederick the Great, also “widely rumored to be homosexual.”
Franklin decided von Steuben’s expertise was more important to the colonies than his sexuality. Along with Franklin and Deane, and personal friends of the baron: Pierre Beaumarchais, author of the “Figaro” plays and an arms dealer who supplied arms for the ship von Steuben eventually sailed on, and Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain, the minister of war under Louis XVI. What the letter didn’t mention was that he was about to be arrested and appear before judges in France.
“It has come to me from different sources that M. de Steuben is accused of having taken familiarities with young boys, which the laws forbid and punish severely. I have even been informed that that is the reason why M. de Steuben was obliged to leave Hechingen and that the clergy of your country intend to prosecute him by law as soon as he may establish himself anywhere.”
Washington rewarded von Steuben with a house at Valley Forge, which he shared with his aide-de-camps Capt. William North and Gen. Benjamin Walker. Walker lived with him through the remainder of his life, and von Steuben, who neither married nor denied any of the allegations of homosexuality, left his estate to North and Walker. His last will and testament has been described as a love letter to Walk and has been purported to describe their “extraordinarily intense emotional relationship,”.
Adding to that were the constant rumors about his sexuality, which by 1790, reached one of the revolution’s first families, the Adamses of Massachusetts.
Charles, the son of John and Abigail Adams- was what today would be called the black sheep of the family. His biggest problem was alcoholism but, as revealed in letters among the various members of the family, the Adamses had other concerns.
“There are references to [Charles’] alleged proclivity for consorting with men whom his parents regarded as unsavory.” One of these men was von Steuben. Charles had become infatuated with and adored Von Steuben. It is clear from the family letters that the Adamses were concerned about a relationship between Charles and the baron. Von Steuben’s sexuality was an open secret, one that he himself never challenged, other than to ask Washington to defend his moral character. But John Mulligan another one of Baron von Steuben’s “boys” was extremely close with Charles.
It was von Steuben, a gay man, who played a giant role in not only the creation of American military, but the idea of military academies, a standing Army and even veterans organizations. As said by many: if George Washington was the father of the nation, then von Steuben, a gay man, was the father of the United States military.
Want to create a religion for your fictional world? Here are some references and resources!
General:
General Folklore
Various Folktales
Heroes
Weather Folklore
Trees in Mythology
Animals in Mythology
Birds in Mythology
Flowers in Mythology
Fruit in Mythology
Plants in Mythology
Folktales from Around the World
Africa:
Egyptian Mythology
African Mythology
More African Mythology
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
The Gods of Africa
Even More African Mythology
West African Mythology
All About African Mythology
African Mythical Creatures
Gods and Goddesses
The Americas:
Aztec Mythology
Haitian Mythology
Inca Mythology
Maya Mythology
Native American Mythology
More Inca Mythology
More Native American Mythology
South American Mythical Creatures
North American Mythical Creatures
Aztec Gods and Goddesses
Asia:
Chinese Mythology
Hindu Mythology
Japanese Mythology
Korean Mythology
More Japanese Mythology
Chinese and Japanese Mythical Creatures
Indian Mythical Creatures
Chinese Gods and Goddesses
Hindu Gods and Goddesses
Korean Gods and Goddesses
Europe:
Basque Mythology
Celtic Mythology
Etruscan Mythology
Greek Mythology
Latvian Mythology
Norse Mythology
Roman Mythology
Arthurian Legends
Bestiary
Celtic Gods and Goddesses
Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic Lands
Finnish Mythology
Celtic Mythical Creatures
Gods and Goddesses
Middle East:
Islamic Mythology
Judaic Mythology
Mesopotamian Mythology
Persian Mythology
Middle Eastern Mythical Creatures
Oceania:
Aboriginal Mythology
Polynesian Mythology
More Polynesian Mythology
Mythology of the Polynesian Islands
Melanesian Mythology
Massive Polynesian Mythology Post
Maori Mythical Creatures
Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses
Hawaiian Goddesses
Gods and Goddesses
Creating a Fantasy Religion:
Creating Part 1
Creating Part 2
Creating Part 3
Creating Part 4
Fantasy Religion Design Guide
Using Religion in Fantasy
Religion in Fantasy
Creating Fantasy Worlds
Beliefs in Fantasy
Some superstitions:
Read More
The Perseid meteor shower is the best of the year! It peaks on a Moonless summer night from 4 p.m. EST on August 12 until 4 a.m. EST on August 13.
Because the new Moon falls near the peak night, the days before and after the peak will also provide nice, dark skies. Your best window of observation is from a few hours after twilight until dawn, on the days surrounding the peak.
Unlike most meteor showers, which have a short peak of high meteor rates, the Perseids have a very broad peak, as Earth takes more than three weeks to plow through the wide trail of cometary dust from comet Swift-Tuttle.
The Perseids appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, visible in the northern sky soon after sunset this time of year. Observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views.
You should be able to see some meteors from July 17 to August 24, with the rates increasing during the weeks before August 12 and decreasing after August 13.
Observers should be able to see between 60 and 70 per hour at the peak. Remember, you don’t have to look directly at the constellation to see them. You can look anywhere you want to-even directly overhead.
Meteor showers like the Perseids are caused by streams of meteoroids hitting Earth’s atmosphere. The particles were once part of their parent comet-or, in some cases, from an asteroid.
The parade of planets Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars–and the Milky Way continue to grace the evening sky, keeping you and the mosquitoes company while you hunt for meteors.
Watch the full What’s Up for August Video:
There are so many sights to see in the sky. To stay informed, subscribe to our What’s Up video series on Facebook.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Ways to provide protection from spiritual and physical beings:
Make a witches bottle: They provide you with protection against curses, hexes, and spells sent your way as well as to protect your property and possessions.
Salt circle: A salt circle provides the person inside with protection from negative entities and demons. Line your window sills and door way entrances with salt to create an impenetrable barrier.
Iron: Repels evil.Three iron nails driven into a doorway or window sill will block negativity from entering your home. Note: Iron repels Fae!
Plants: Some plants have protective properties.
Ask your deity for protection
Mint leaves in your shoes protects you from curses
Put pepper in protection sachets to protect against magickal attacks.
Burn bay leaves to reverse curses
Scrawl your home and clothes with protective sigils
Quartz Crystals: Provides protection.
Visualization
Paint your front porch blue to ward off ghosts:They fear water so this may confuse them.
Hang an upside down horse shoe above your door: to ward off evil spirits.
Hang wind chimes around your home: To scare off bad spirits
Nazar or evil eye: Protects your home from bad luck.
Rowan: Two branches from rowan trees bound together with red thread in the shape of a cross. It provides protection when hung above doorways, according to celtic traditions.
Arrowheads: Placed above your door will help keep burglars and unwanted guests out.
Cinnamon Sticks: Tied over the door will protect your home.
Rosemary wreath: A wreath of rosemary bound with green thread can provide your home with protection. Add other plants that correspond with protection as well.
Ivy: Grown up your house provides protection,
Mistletoe: Hung in the house protects it from thunder and lightning.
Acorn: According to Norse mythology, placing an acorn on the window sill protects the home from being struck by lightning.
Pine branch: Where it for protection.
Create your own protection amulet
Place mirrors around your home to deflect the evil eye
Sources: Charissascaulderon.com, scribol.com
Stay safe and have a Happy New Year!
==Moonlight Academy==
The smallest constellation by area is Crux.
The love that was gifted to me was too much
Too much to handle
So I settled for less
Not knowing it wouldn't be enough
Bluer than Blue
Three of Jupiter’s moons may have liquid oceans.
Temples of Knowledge (Series 8)
1. Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England
2. Library from the East, University Club, New York, NY
3. Queen’s College Library, University of Oxford, England
4. Library of Parliament, Canada
5. Edinburgh Library, Edinburgh, Scotland.
6. The Theological Hall, Strahov Monastery Library, Prague
7. Marsh’s Library. Dublin, Ireland
8. Stanford White Library, Bronx, New York City
9. Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum Library, Osaka, Japan
10. Biblioteca Civica di Fermo, Fermo, Italy
Always incredible to witness something like this. Shoutout to everyone that pulled an all nighter to see this. Captured just outside of Wichita, Kansas.
i don’t really give a shit about this tumblr being removed from the app store thing but above all i am really glad this is happening now and not in 2011 so i don’t have to scroll past some “PSA: TUMBLR HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE APP STORE!” “oh HELL NO!!! Dr who fandom grab your tardises!!!” “*50 gif reaction images of the supernatural guy looking pissed off” type of shit