Valley Forge Thesis

In the war for freedom and independence from the tyrannous British, soldiers had to stay at the winter camp of Valley Forge in order to eventually come out as victorious. According to “Estimates of Illness and Deaths at Valley Forge,” soldiers still had a pretty good chance at survival at Winter Forge. Only 50% of soldiers were sick, so if you were to stay as active and healthy as possible, a soldier there should be fine. Also, this document states that about 10% or 1,800 out of 12,000 soldiers died during encampment. This shows that many soldiers had a great chance at survival if they just pushed through the harsh winter. Although the Diary of Dr. Waldo illustrates a horrible picture of Valley Forge, there is still evidence of why it would

be a good decision to stay. Through the incredibly difficult times at Valley Forge, the young troops were still joyous and cheerful. To add on, even people like Dr. Waldo himself were there to help each other out and contributed to their cause for freedom. Lastly, Thomas Paine has written an absolutely amazing message to the colonists in his “The American Crisis.” Thomas Paine says that people shouldn’t just be “sunshine Patriots and summer soldiers,” or people who just stay when times are good, but people who care about their cause and don’t surrender. Without going through tough times, there would be far more difficult times for soldiers and their families when they become slaves to Britain. In conclusion, through the easy and difficult times, anyone should stay at Valley Forge because the result will be better in the end.