4 – Von Steuben Day is celebrated in towns throughout the U.S.
September marks the time of year when many people around the U.S. celebrate Baron von Steuben with marches, costumes and music. German-Americans especially love to celebrate this day and many people consider it the precursor to Oktoberfest.
New York City hosts a German-American Steuben Parade annually which is one of the largest parades in the city. It takes place the third Saturday in September on Fifth Avenue. It is a great source of pride for those of German descent and is a great excuse to dress in costume, eat traditional food and perform traditional dances.
A fraternal organization, named the Steuben Society, is one of the largest societies for those of German-American backgrounds. It was founded in 1918 and was instrumental in helping German-Americans post-WWI and WWII, when there was a lot of stigma surrounding their heritage.
Baron von Steuben was a brilliant military mind who was likely the reason the Continental army was able to win the Revolutionary War. He was second in effectiveness only to George Washington and often is considered the key reason America was able to win the Revolutionary War. He was also a gay man. Many times history gets rewritten to overlook these important facts, but heroes come in all shapes, sizes and sexual preferences. Baron von Steuben will be remembered as a military genius who helped turn the tide in favor of the Patriots.
Although Congress was initially “tricked” into taking him on as Inspector General, he turned out to be an incredibly effective leader with his Prussian drills; able to whip the Patriots into shape. He also transformed the encampments from filthy huts into livable conditions with a regimented organization complete with record-keeping systems.