Who is Mrs. Espeseth Dressed as for Halloween? 2026

This year I am dressed as Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. He was a Prussian military officer who completely transformed the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Von Steuben was broke and needed money to pay for his wealthy lifestyle. He came to America hoping Washington would hire him to help get the Continental Army in fighting shape. It worked. Baron von Steuben used his extensive military training to introduce essential drills, tactics, and sanitation standards, turning Washington’s undisciplined troops into an effective, professional fighting force that defeated the British. While Baron von Steuben was at Valley Forge, he decided to go trick or treating, in his pockets, were these four items:

The tool of the trade. A pocket knife. Von Steuben would have wanted to be armed at all times as a soldier. The knife tells us that Von Steuben was a professional soldier and was constatnly ready to fight.
The personal flaw. A gold pocket watch. Watches were very rare and very expensive. Von Steuben had a problem with spending money. He would spend it all until it was gone. The watch helped von Steuben know what time it was which would be important to a military man especially when running drills and lessons for the American soldiers.

3. The Primary Source. A copy of the Declaration of Independence. Von Steuben respected what the Americans were doing and truly did want to help them it just so happened that helping the Americans would help himself as well.

4. The Wildcard Comfort Item. A small wooden carved angel given to him by his best friend Benjamin Walker. Benjamin spoke French, the language von Steuben used to comunicate with the American troops. He called his friend his angel and thought very highly of him.

Want some extra-credit?...

Here are Step-by-Step Instructions, if you are able to do this assignment successfully I will turn your lowest grade to an A.

Step 1: Choose Your Identity & Your Night

Pick any American historical figure (Does not have to be born in the U.S.). Instead of focusing on their entire life, you must pick one specific night for them to be trick-or-treating.

Example: Harriet Tubman on a cold night in November 1854; Alexander Hamilton on the night before his duel in July 1804; or Jackie Robinson before his major league debut in April 1947.

Step 2: Curate Your 4 Artifacts

Your figure is carrying a bag or has 4 items in their pockets. You must select and describe exactly four physical objects they have on them. Your choices must meet these strict criteria:

Item 1: The Tool of the Trade. One item they used daily to do their job or achieve their goals (e.g., a specific compass, a pen, a legal document, a magnifying glass).
Item 2: The Personal Flaw. One item that represents a mistake, a failure, a regret, or a personal struggle this person faced. No one is perfect—what is their "heavy luggage"?
Item 3: The Primary Source. One piece of paper they would actually be carrying (e.g., a letter from a rival, a specific newspaper clipping from that week, a pocket constitution, a map they drew).
Item 4: The Wildcard Comfort Item. One small personal item that shows their human side (e.g., a specific favorite snack of the era, a toy belonging to their child, a lucky charm).

Step 3: Write the "Why"

For each of the 4 items, you must provide a 2–3 sentence explanation from the perspective of your character. Answer the following:

What is this item?
Why is it in your pocket on this exact night?
What does it reveal about your goals or your fears?

Submission Format

Similar to how I created my answer above, please write your answer on paper and hand it to me by November 6th.

How to Get Credit

To ensure this is your own original historical thinking, your project will be graded on era-specificity.

The "No Walmart" Rule: If your character is from 1776, your wildcard comfort item cannot be a modern Hershey's bar. It must be something that actually existed in their time period (like a lump of maple sugar wrapped in cheesecloth).
The "Specific Date" Rule: If your explanations sound like a generic Wikipedia summary (e.g., "George Washington was a general and the first president"), it will be rejected. Your explanation must focus heavily on the date you chose.

YOU MAY NOT USE ANY OF THE EXAMPLES USED ABOVE!

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