John Laurens' Homosexuality - Argumentative Paper

John Laurens' Homosexuality

A/N: So this was intended as an essay for my English class that I wrote a month ago. It took about a month and a half to write from beginning to end. My subject was definitely one of the weirder ones compared to my classmates, who wrote about border security and gun control and everything in between. My professor had warned me about not being able to find sources, and I did struggle honestly. Thank God for Chernow's biography because that came with plenty of sources. (Also Tumblr, but we don't talk about that). But yeah. The assignment was to write it in the Toulmin model, but I doubt I did that honestly. I didn't really get that structure and honestly prefer Rogerian or Classical. Please do not repost this. It'll be without my name (as I still keep it private on here). The citations are APA (also a requirement for the paper since they need us to write one APA paper per semester). Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy 3000+ words on my thoughts about Laurens' homosexuality (because he was. He was homosexual).

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John Laurens' Homosexuality

April 17, 2022

          "Cold in my professions, warm in ⟨my⟩ friendships, I wish, my Dear Laurens, it m⟨ight⟩ be in my power, by action rather than words, ⟨to⟩ convince you that I love you. I shall only tell you that 'till you bade us Adieu, I hardly knew the value you had taught my heart to set upon you" (Hamilton to Laurens, 1779, para. 1). The letter, written in April of 1779, is just one of many examples of highly affectionate correspondence shared with John Laurens. The question of Laurens' sexuality unfortunately was thrown to the wind after his death at the age of 27 on August 27, 1782, and has been a topic of debate since (Combahee River, n.d., para. 4). When discussing the potential of Laurens' homosexuality, many historians argue that the stress of war and close friendships forged in war are more than enough to account for the closeness indicated in historical documents. Those experts maintain that the language and friendship shown in those very letters were simply part of a close friendship formed by the trauma of war. However, many others argue that though the stress of war may have been a factor in Laurens' close relationship with men, and from a young age, he tended to show preferences for those of his sex. To say that Laurens was definitely homosexual, or the inverse, that he was not, is a statement too hastily made, as Laurens is no longer alive to add any comment to sway opinions. Despite this, it can be assumed that Laurens, from early in his adolescence, had a greater sense of attraction and affection, romantic or otherwise, to people of his sex than the opposite.

          John Laurens was born to a wealthy family in South Carolina, and like many highborn young men of his time, was sent to Europe to study in preparation for when he would inherit his family's fortune and their high social status (Lt Colonel John Laurens, n.d., para. 1; Character of Col. John Laurens, 1791, p. 745). It was in Geneva, Switzerland that he came across what many believe to have been a childhood acquaintance, Francis Kinloch, and quickly developed what can, at the very least, be seen as a close friendship with him. Laurens arrived in Geneva in 1772, and Francis Kinloch in 1774 (Massey, 2015; Francis Kinloch biography, 2015, para. 1). Only a few letters between the pair survive, but each letter shows clear affection. There is no particular reason for this, but many attribute it to Laurens' unwillingness to open himself to most as a reason for him not writing as often as those he corresponded with. Laurens addressed Kinloch as "my Dear Kinloch" and often wrote of his longing to be with him. Laurens left for London in 1774 in his studies to become a lawyer but often wrote to Kinloch, who remained in Geneva (Laurens Mount Vernon, n.d., para. 2-3). Soon after Laurens began expressing his patriotic sentiments, and Kinloch his royalist tendencies, the couple began to strain. By April 1776, Kinloch expressed his wish to distance himself from Laurens, and the pair stopped corresponding after what can be described, by today's standards, as a breakup (Laurens to Kinloch, April 1776; Kinloch to Laurens, April 1776).