Following the American failures at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown during the American Revolution, General George Washington led 11,000 troops to take up winter quarters at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. Located on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, 22 miles northwest of Philadelphia--which at the time was occupied by the British--Valley Forge was considered easily defensible, and was strategically located on leading trade routes and near farm supplies. Washington's army campted at Valley Forge from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778, a period in which morale and military discipline triumphed over severe hardship.
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Did You Know?
The Valley Forge encampment included miles of trenches, five earthen forts and more than 2,000 military huts laid out in a grid.
During that unusually harsh winter, the force of Washington's leadership held together the dwindling American Army, which was suffering from the bitter cold, lack of clothes, semi-starvation, gross mismanagement in the commissary and transport departments, Congressional neglect, and public criticism. More adequate money and supplies were forthcoming after the Franco-American Alliance became known in late spring 1778. Although its ranks were decimated by rampant disease, the Continental Army was reorganized, and it emerged the following June as a well-disciplined and efficient fighting force, largely because of the efficient drilling methods introduced by Frederick William, Freiherr (baron) von Steuben.
The encampment grounds are maintained by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior as Valley Forge National Historic Park. The park, established in 1976, encompasses 5.4 square miles (14 square km) and maintains many restored structures and defensive works. Several buildings, including Washington's headquarters, are open for tours.
Copyright © 1994-2009 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. For more information visit Britannica.com.
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