Valley Forge Thesis

Most people remember Valley Forge as just a rough winter for our American soldiers, but Valley Forge is much more than that. Valley Forge is a village found near Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania, United States. Our American troops were sent to settle there for the winter. After the winter they would prepare for battle with the return of warm weather. Valley Forge was both a suspenseful and brave story, containing a memorable historic event.

During 1777, Patriot forces under the command of General George Washington suffered major defeats against the British at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown; Philadelphia, the capital of the United States, was then under British control. Washington decided to retreat with his 11,000 men and make winter quarters at Valley Forge, located on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. Washington chose Valley Forge as the winter encampment for

his 11,000 men accompanied by approximately 500 women and children. Washington found that the lay of the land made Valley Forge a natural fortress. The army's camp sat high on a highland at the top of successions of hills that protected it. The soldiers lived in huts built on the highlands. Valley Forge was far enough away from the wealthy farmland north of Philadelphia to prevent the army from becoming a disturbance to any people living in Pennsylvania. As Washington explained, if the army was further away, then "many of our friends would be exposed to all the miseries of the most insulting and wanton depredation." While Washington knew most of his men were fit for duty, no one there could have predicted what happened that December.
Shortages of clothing did cause severe hardship for a number of men, but many soldiers had a full uniform, and the well-equipped units patrolled, foraged, and protected the camp.

Disease, along with the cold and the starvation, was one of the many struggles of the camp. Devoted surgeons, talented nurses, a smallpox injection program, and camp sanitation regulations narrowed the death. One of the most important results of the campsite was the army’s progression into a more professional force. The Continental Army was prepared to go the next level, just as a former Prussian army officer, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben, came to the camp on February 1778. Von Steuben’s direct training program helped the army become a better army. On May 6, 1778, the army celebrated France’s alliance with and formal agreement of the United States as an independent power. The expected coming of the French greatly altered British war plans and caused their withdrawal of Philadelphia in June. Washington quickly set troops in motion to bring on a general engagement with the

enemy.
On June 28, at the Battle of Monmouth, N.J., Washington’s men demonstrated there improved battle skill when they forced the British freom the field. By summer Washington could claim that the war effort was going well. Valley Forge was not the worst period of the Revolutionary War; it is a place where an already accomplished group of professionals improved their craft, and frustrated one of the major British assaults of the war.
Not only is Valley Forge a memorable historic place, but it is also a place of education and fun activities. Today at Valley Forge, we are now able to see with our own eyes of how it would like in Valley Forge in the year of 1777-78, thanks to the reconstructing of some sites at Valley Forge National Park. The Rangers and workers at Valley Forge National Park are determined to help preserve the historic artifacts. In Valley Forge there’s so much more than just the 3,600 acres. The astonishment of the nature and beauty at Valley Forge itself can give you chills. As stated by Valley Forge tourism and convention board association, “-you can instantly fall in love when the park becomes a canvas of red, orange and yellow.” In the park it is not just the views that are thrilling, there are also activities for both children and adults. Such as, for the children, kids can dress up in colonial uniform and do objectives, for example, walking in formation. For both adults and kids, there are multiple hiking trails. The park contains 19.5 miles of labeled and marked hiking trails. The trail near Washington's Headquarters, The Horseshoe Trail, leads to the Appalachian Trail. Other hiking trails include such walkways as the relatively flat River and Valley Creek trails, and the steep trails on Mount Joy and Mount Misery. In addition, hiking is permitted in the most open areas of the park. Other activities include bird watching, horseback riding and much more.
Some of the main points at that park include, General George Washington’s Headquarters, and Washington’s memorial chapel. Washington’s Headquarters is a key attraction of the park because it is the restored colonial home used by General George Washington as his headquarters during the campsite in 1777. They finished rebuilding the headquarters in the summer of 2009. There are other headquarters of other Continental Army generals also in the park, including the ones of Huntington, Varnum, Lord Stirling, Lafayette, and Knox. Varnum. The Washington Memorial Chapel and National Patriots Bell Tower carillon, both are on top of a hill at the center of Valley Forge National Park. The chapel is the legacy of Doctor W. Herbert Burk. The chapel is a functioning Church, built as a tribute to Washington. The chapel and attached bell tower are not really an actual part of the park, but it serves as a place for the spiritual needs of the park and the communities that surround it. The bell tower also lists those that served in the Revolutionary War.
Valley forge was both a courageous historical event and a fun, enjoyable park, but it can still teach us a lot about our country and our country’s past. It can also show us that we had our brave solders, risking their lives even when the conditions were tough and uncomfortable. Valley Forge is a great example of how we can preserve history and also fight for our country.