How Did Valley Forge Washington Get His Army To Valley Forge

Washington’s army went into Valley Forge undisciplined and came out transformed into a much greater army. The reasons being, they came out stronger, disciplined, and smarter. General George Washington put his troops through sickness, starvation, and a severe winter to make them better as one, and it worked. His troops stayed at Valley Forge throughout the winter and they didn’t have houses, food, or clothes. He’d hoped they’d come out with “one heart” and “one mind” (“Valley Forge”). This put his soldiers through the worst and prepared them for everything. This made the little things a lot easier.

General George Washington took his army to Valley Forge for 6 months. His soldiers spent a cold and harsh winter there. They camped here from December

29, 1777 to June 29, 1778. The army was faced with many challenges throughout this time. The harsh winter was probably the biggest, with soldiers having little to no shelter. There was also minimal clothes and food. There was 11,000 soldiers. The Continental Army had no winter clothes, and many soldiers had no shoes. They huddled in crude huts that they built from sticks, logs, and mud. They suffered from the biting cold and fierce winds. They were always hungry, so they ate flour and water baked into tasteless firecakes. One fourth of soldiers died of disease (Inc, 20). Women were also a huge help bringing the men food, weapons, warm clothes, and ammunition (Davidson, 184). So the question is asked, was all of this really worth it? The answer is yes! Valley Forge changed this army into something new.
General George Washington’s army came out of Valley Forge smarter. They learned things like how to use new weapons and new strategies when it comes to fighting. “Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, provided important training for the American troops. As the drillmaster of Valley Forge, he taught the soldiers how to use the bayonet, and most importantly, how to re-form lines quickly in the midst of battle.” (“Valley Forge”). These soldiers made smarter decisions during war after being trained by Steuben. Being smarter led to being more successful.
Not only did the Continental Army come out smarter but they also came out disciplined. Before Valley Forge the soldiers did whatever they wanted and weren’t as committed as Washington would have liked. Steuben didn’t only educate these soldiers but he trained them to become disciplined. He used Prussian drill techniques that were more advanced than other European armies. Boot camps were practiced and the soldiers were shoeless (“Historic Valley Forge”). This makes it easier to do these things with shoes. After this experience the soldiers knew not to mess around and knew this was serious business.
The U.S. Continental Army came out of Valley Forge a lot stronger than when they went in. They got used to being in the cold, got used to starving, and got used to harsh situations. Living like that for so long then going back to normal life is like luxury. With clothes, shoes, food, and drink they will do even better than they’ve done in Valley Forge. Not only were they physically stronger but mentally stronger too. The army got put through that and they knew they could get through anything. They also got even more confident. Now that they can do all of these new things they know they can defeat the others, and you can’t win a war without confidence. Steuben contributed to this factor too.
All of these factors made the U.S. Continental Army much better and much more successful. They came out of this camp stronger, discipline, and smarter. They army is setup for success and is ready to win.