Valley Forge is a well known topic of the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the ex-British colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to co…
What are facts about Valley Forge?
What are some important facts about Valley Forge?
- Valley Forge was not the coldest winter of the Revolution.
- George Washington was fighting a two-front war — against the British and his own Continental Congress.
- The winter at Valley Forge was the last time the United States Army was integrated until the Korean War.
Who died at Valley Forge?
They remained there for six months, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. At Valley Forge, the Continentals struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while retraining and reorganizing their units. About 1,700 to 2,000 soldiers died from disease, possibly exacerbated by malnutrition.
Why did Washington go to Valley Forge?
Why did Washington stay at Valley Forge? Valley Forge was chosen for many reasons. Here are a few: The British were occupying Philadelphia for the winter. The American Army needed to keep an eye on them and prevent them from foraging in the countryside for food they needed.
What is a summary of Valley Forge?
Valley Forge was where the American Continental Army made camp during the winter of 1777-1778. It was here that the American forces became a true fighting unit. Valley Forge is often called the birthplace of the American Army. Where is Valley Forge?
What happened at the winter at Valley Forge?
The particularly severe winter of 1777-1778 proved to be a great trial for the American army, and of the 11,000 soldiers stationed at Valley Forge, hundreds died from disease. However, the suffering troops were held together by loyalty to the Patriot cause and to General Washington, who stayed with his men.
What were the conditions at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777?
The rebel capital, Philadelphia, fell into British hands. By the time the army marched into Valley Forge on December 19, they were suffering not only from cold, hunger, and fatigue, but from low morale in the wake of the disastrous Philadelphia Campaign.
Why were the conditions so bad at Valley Forge?
A lack of organization, food and money shortages plagued the Continental Army throughout the first half of the seven-year-long revolution. These problems exacerbated the harsh living conditions at Valley Forge, during the third year of the war.
What happened during Valley Forge?
At Valley Forge in the spring of 1778, the army joyously celebrated the formal French recognition of the United States as a sovereign power and valuable alliance with this leading European nation.
What is Valley Forge known for?
Valley Forge National Historical Park is nationally significant as the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington.
How did the soldiers survive Valley Forge?
The men subsisted on a concoction called “firecake”–flour and water mixed together and baked in iron kettles. The men didn't get any kind of yeast or leavening agent with their rations, so the firecakes were flat and dense.
What did they eat at Valley Forge?
Food and Drink Rations were irregular during the first few months of the encampment. Soldiers were supposed to receive daily amounts of beef, pork or fish; flour or bread; cornmeal or rice; and rum or whiskey.
How cold was it at Valley Forge?
The Encampment saw basically two periods of severe cold. The end of December with a low of 6 Degrees and the end of March with a low of 8 Degrees. The low in January reached 12 Degrees and February was 16 Degrees.
Why did the soldiers at Valley Forge have no shoes?
The conditions that the soldiers had to endure at Valley Forge were horrible. They had to deal with cold, wet, and snowy weather. They were often hungry, as food was scarce. Many of the soldiers didn't have warm clothing or even shoes as their shoes had worn out on the long march to the valley.
What happened in the winter of 1776 1777?
“Six months after the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution was all but lost. A powerful British force had routed the Americans at New York, occupied three colonies, and advanced within sight of Philadelphia (from Washington's Crossing by D.H. Fischer).”
How cold was the winter of 1777?
The end of December with a low of 6 Degrees and the end of March with a low of 8 Degrees. The low in January reached 12 Degrees and February was 16 Degrees.
What did they eat at Valley Forge?
Food and Drink Rations were irregular during the first few months of the encampment. Soldiers were supposed to receive daily amounts of beef, pork or fish; flour or bread; cornmeal or rice; and rum or whiskey.
What were the conditions at Valley Forge during the war?
These problems exacerbated the harsh living conditions at Valley Forge, during the third year of the war. While the winter of 1777-1778 wasn’t exceptionally cold, many soldiers lacked proper clothing, which left them unfit to serve. Some were even shoeless.
How many people died at Valley Forge?
Cold and starvation at Valley Forge were not even the most dangerous threats: diseases proved to be the biggest killer. As the National Park Service says, “Disease was the true scourge of the camp.” By the end of the six-month encampment, some 2,000 men—roughly one in six—died of disease. Camp records indicate that two-thirds of the deaths happened during the warmer months of March, April and May when soldiers were less confined to their cabins and food and other supplies were more abundant.
Why is Valley Forge called the birthplace of the American army?
Despite the harsh conditions, Valley Forge is sometimes called the birthplace of the American army because, by June of 1778, the weary troops emerged with a rejuvenated spirit and confidence as a well-trained fighting force. Much of the credit goes to former Prussian military officer Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben.
What is the hardship at Valley Forge?
Popular images of life at Valley Forge depict tremendous suffering from cold and starvation. While it was cold, the National Park Service says there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary about the conditions at Valley Forge, characterizing the hardship as “suffering as usual" since the Continental soldier experienced a perpetual state of hardship.
What was the military training at Valley Forge?
Military Training at Valley Forge. SOURCES. The six-month encampment of General George Washington ’s Continental Army at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778 was a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War. While conditions were notoriously cold and harsh and provisions were in short supply, it was at the winter camp ...
What did Von Steuben do in the Valley Forge?
In his role, von Steuben set standards for camp layout, sanitation and conduct. For instance, he demanded that latrines be placed, facing downhill, on the opposite side of camp as the kitchens.
What did General Washington build in the camp?
In addition to the huts, the men built miles of trenches, military roads and paths. According to the National Park Service, one officer said the camp “had the appearance of a little city” when viewed from a distance. General Washington and his closest aides lived in a two-story stone house near Valley Forge Creek.
How many people were in Valley Forge?
On December 19th, 1777, 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children marched into Valley Forge and began to build what was essentially the fourth largest city in the United States, with 1,500 log huts and two miles of fortifications. Lasting six months, from December until June, the encampment was as diverse as any city, with people who were free and enslaved, wealthy and impoverished, speakers of several languages, and adherents of multiple religions. Concentrating the soldiers in one vast camp allowed the army to protect the countryside and be better able to resist a British attack, but it became costly when lack of supplies and hunger afflicted the inhabitants, and diseases like influenza and typhoid spread through the camp. While there was never a battle at Valley Forge, disease killed nearly 2,000 people during the encampment.
What landscape was the Valley Forge?
On arrival in December 1777, a Continental soldier would have seen an open, rolling landscape divided into many small crop fields and pastures by fences and hedgerows; woodlands and charcoal hearths on the mountains; and the smattering of structures in the Village of Valley Forge, including the ruins of the forges themselves - burned during a raid by the British three months earlier.
What is the Valley Forge myth?
It tells us that it was the experience of tremendous suffering from cold and starvation during the encampment that forged a spirit of extraordinary patriotism among Washington’s men.
What was the name of the army that occupied Valley Forge?
Valley Forge is the location of the 1777-1778 winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington. Here the Continental Army , a collection of disparate colonial militias, emerged under Washington’s leadership as a cohesive and disciplined fighting force. In late 1777 while the British occupied the patriot capital ...
What was the second event that consolidated Washington’s control?
A second event that consolidated Washington’s control was his successful campaign to have a congressional committee visit camp. The general lobbied Congress to confer with him in person in order to resolve some of the supply and organizational difficulties that had plagued the army during the 1777 campaign. The committee emerged from the Valley Forge meeting with a better understanding of the logistical difficulties Washington faced and more sympathetic to the army’s requirements. The army reorganization was one of the most far-reaching consequences of the committee’s work. Almost from the war’s outset, Washington had argued for a large professional army. The public’s disdain for standing armies limited his ability to raise a sizeable force. The reorganization of 1778 represented a compromise between civilian and military ideals. Realizing that the army existed at only a portion of its authorized strength, Congress consolidated regiments and created a more streamlined force.
What is the significance of the winter campment at Valley Forge?
The significance of the encampment lies both in its fact-based history and also its storied myth. The mythical narrative is important in its own right for it reveals something about our character in the heroic way we wish the Revolution to be remembered. The popularity of the myth also speaks to its usefulness. Valley Forge remains a touchstone - always ready to minister to a generation in crisis.
Why is Valley Forge important?
The symbolic importance that Americans have attached to Valley Forge since the 19th century both complicates and enriches its authentic history. The establishment of Valley Forge as a memorial provides a place where generations of Americans have had the opportunity to discover and admire the Continental Army’s sacrifices and achievements and to participate in commemoration of this history. The desire to commemorate began to shape the history of this place soon after the army marched out.
When is Valley Forge tour 2021?
Weekend Trolley Tours. The Encampment Store offers 90-minute tours of Valley Forge on Saturdays and Sundays from September 11, 2021 to October 31, 2021, plus Columbus Day (October 12). Learn how to reserve tickets here.
Is the Chapel Trail closed?
A short portion of the Chapel Trail, beginning 1/2 mile east of the Washington Memorial Chapel to the intersection with the Sullivan's Bridge Trail, will be closed through Summer 2020 due to the U.S. 422 Schuylkill River Bridge construction project and additional construction along Cinder Lane.
Is the Valley Creek Trail closed?
Due to the impacts of flooding and damage caused by Post-Tropical Cyclone Ida, the Valley Creek Trail is closed from the Covered Bridge on Yellow Springs Rd to the intersection with the Wolfinger Trail. The Valley Creek Trail remains open from the intersection with the Wolfinger Trail to the Horseshoe trailhead near Rt 23.
The Causes Of Valley Forge
Imagine living under brutal conditions in a rundown, secluded fort, far away from home and knowing that you could die at any minute. What would you do? During the winter of 1777 to 1778, George Washington’s Continental Army set up their post at Valley Forge, a military camp 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Quit Valley Forge
that spent their winter at Valley forge and I am one of them Many stayed for 2 years but many left at 9 months.
The Pros And Cons Of Valley Forge
There’s a part on a word doc. for the conclusion. Valley Forge I am a soldier at Valley Forge, sacrificing myself for my suffering country so that we all can be free from Britain's control. I am in tatter'd clothes and have barely enough food to survive, but I’ll go through this just so my country doesn't have to suffer any more.
Mandatory Essay: Valley Forge And The American Revolution
going to be asked if I would like to leave this place. The place in question is Valley Forge a place 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where the British are comfortably quartered. It is the winter of 1777-1778 and the American Revolutionary War has just begun (Roden 141).
Explain What Happened At Valley Forge
Valley Forge Andrew Hoffman Mountain View High School Valley Forge The Continental Army, led by George Washington, spent the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge. This was 20 miles outside of Philadelphia, where the British had taken control of earlier that year.
Essay on General George Washington and The Continental Army
not an unproblematic one. The winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania proved this to Washington and his men. Yet the true American ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were never forgotten in their battle.
Washington, The Man Of The Revolutionary Era
George Washington was born in Virginia, but little did his parents know that he would change America forever. George Washington worked hard to raise soldiers’ spirits and help them to survive the winter at Valley Forge. He did anything in his power to get the necessary supplies and best living conditions for his soldiers.
Why did Washington choose Valley Forge as his winter encampment?
First, the lay of the land made Valley Forge a natural fortress. The army's camp sat high on a plateau at the top of a series of hills that protected it.
Why was Valley Forge important to the Continental Army?
Valley Forge was a critical period for the Continental Army, not the least because the Baron von Steuben instituted a series of reforms that helped professionalize the army and make them better soldiers. Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army.
What is Valley Forge?
Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army. The park commemorates the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation. Throughout the American Revolution, General George Washington often remarked that he would rather be home at Mount Vernon. Despite his wishes, Washington managed to return ...
Who was the Quartermaster General of Valley Forge?
By the early spring conditions at Valley Forge greatly improved. Washington appointed General Greene as the new Quartermaster General and he set up an efficient operation for bringing supplies into the camp. The rainy weather continued to be a problem, but the mood of the camp brightened when news of the Franco-American alliance arrived in May. Washington ordered his troops to line the parade ground and shoot off their guns one by one in celebration.
How many barrels of flour did Washington have?
Even worse, his quartermaster reported that he had just twenty-five barrels of flour and only a little salt pork to feed the entire army. As Washington explained in a letter to Henry Laurens, the President of the Continental Congress, unless something was done quickly, "this Army might dissolve.". 3.
Why was the Valley Forge encampment so difficult?
The Valley Forge Encampment was difficult because the soldiers lacked proper clothing and proper meals. There were seven winters during the Revolutionary War. The winters could be rated on the following scale: severe, moderate and mild. 1775-1776. Moderate.
What was the low in January in Valley Forge?
The end of December with a low of 6 Degrees and the end of March with a low of 8 Degrees. The low in January reached 12 Degrees and February was 16 Degrees. The troops arrived at Valley Forge on the 19th of December and eight days later, the deepest single snow of the season fell, which was followed by the severest cold.
How many people died at Valley Forge?
Those who died at camp or in hospitals has been estimated as high as 3,000.
What was Washington's major concern?
One of Washington's major worries was an outbreak of small pox. Inoculation was still relatively new and controversial, but the General was a firm believer in the procedure. The winter before at Morristown, N.J., he ordered inoculation for all those who had not already had the disease.
Why did Washington complain about the encampment?
Washington constantly complained of the failure to clear the encampment of filth, which included rotting carcasses of horses.
How many barns did the Army use in Eastern Pennsylvania?
Dysentery and typhus were rampant. Many makeshift hospitals were set up in the region. The Army's medical department used at least 50 barns, dwellings, churches or meetinghouses throughout a wide area of Eastern Pennsylvania as temporary hospitals.
What was the first priority of the soldiers?
The first priority of the soldiers was keeping warm and dry. The troops faced a typical Delaware Valley winter with temperatures mostly in the 20s and 30s. There were 13 days of rain or snow during the first six weeks. Illness, not musketballs, was the great killer. Dysentery and typhus were rampant.
One Winter of A Long War
The War Prior to Valley Forge
- While some refused to accept it, the nature of the war changed in July 1776 when a large contingent of English and Hessian troops reached America’s shores and sought to crush the rebellion. By the fall, the British had pushed Washington’s unevenly trained and outnumbered force to the brink of defeat and established control over New York City and the states of New Yo…
Supplying The Army
- The Continental Army’s quick seizure and use of the land directly across the Schuylkill River offers an example of the extent of its capability. Once the bridge spanning the river was complete, the army made full use of the land north of the river as a vital supply link. The farms located on the north side provided forage for the Continental Army, the location of a camp market where farme…
Ravages of Disease
- Perhaps the most notable suffering that occurred at Valley Forge came from a factor that has not been frequently mentioned in textbooks: disease was the true scourge of the camp. Men from far flung geographical areas were exposed to sicknesses from which they had little immunity. During the encampment, nearly 2,000 men died of disease. Dedicated su...
A Large and Diverse Camp
- The scale of the Valley Forge encampment was impressive. The number of soldiers present ranged from 12,000 in December to nearly 20,000 in late spring as the army massed for the campaign season. The troops who came to camp included men from all 13 original colonies and regiments from all of them except South Carolina and Georgia. The encampment brought togeth…
Legacy of The Encampment
- Despite the difficulties, there were a number of significant accomplishments and events during the encampment. Because of its far-reaching consequences, the single most noteworthy achievement was the maturation of the Continental Army into a professional force under the tutelage of Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben. Baron von Steuben assessed the army and rec…
Alliance with France
- European recognition augmented congressional reforms. French assistance was crucial to the success of the Revolution. Starting in 1776, vital French aid in the form of military materiel flowed to America. The efforts of American agents in France and the strong performance of the continentals at the Battles of Saratoga and Germantown convinced the French to do more than …
Leaving Valley Forge
- In mid-June Washington’s spy network informed him that the British were about to abandon Philadelphia. The commander in chief rapidly set troops in motion: a small force marched in and took possession of the city. The majority of the army swiftly advanced from staging areas on the north side of the Schuylkill River and southeast of camp toward the Delaware River and New Jer…
Birthplace of The American Army
- The success of Valley Forge also can be measured in longer-term gains. Many regard Valley Forge as the birthplace of the American army. The concepts of basic training, the professionalization of the officer corps, and the rise of the army’s distinctive branches, such as the corps of engineers, all got their start here. The military lessons that von Steuben helped instill served Washington’s v…
Impact of The Encampment on The Land
- The scale and intensity of the encampment devastated the landscape of the Valley Forge area. By the time the army left in June 1778, every tree for miles around had been taken down for firewood or hut construction, as well as miles of farmers’ fences and many outbuildings. The livestock and stores of the area’s residents had been commandeered and consumed. The land itself was pock…