Where is valley forge located

By December , Washington was well aware that some members of the Continental Congress were questioning his leadership abilities. December 23, dawned cold and dank over the hills of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the scent of snow in the air.

When George Washington took command of the Continental Army in , America was fighting a war on two fronts: one for independence from the British, and a second for survival against smallpox. Because Washington knew the ravages of the disease firsthand, he understood that the From to , the Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States.

The First Continental Congress, which was comprised of delegates from the colonies, met in in reaction to the Coercive Acts, a series of measures A member of a committee of five that also included John Adams of Without them, there would have been no United States of America.

The Founding Fathers, a group of predominantly wealthy plantation owners and businessmen, united 13 disparate colonies, fought for independence from Britain and penned a series of influential governing documents Live TV.

This Day In History. History Vault. Valley Forge: Building the Winter Camp Within days of arriving at Valley Forge, troops constructed 1, to 2, log huts in parallel lines that would house 12, soldiers and women and children throughout the winter. Recommended for you. How To Get Into Princeton.

Continental Congress From to , the Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States. See More. During the winter of to , Washington camped with his troops at Valley Forge, nearly twenty miles north of Philadelphia.

Images of bloody footprints in the snow, soldiers huddled around lonely campfires, and Washington on his knees, praying that his army might survive often come to mind when people hear the words "Valley Forge. Washington chose Valley Forge as the winter encampment for his 11, men along with approximately women and children who accompanied them for several reasons.

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. The soldiers lived in huts built on the plateau and continued training on the parade ground at its center. Secondly, Valley Forge was far enough away from the rich farmland north of Philadelphia to prevent the army from becoming a burden on the local population.

Lastly, Valley Forge was close enough to the occupied capital of Philadelphia for the Continental Army to keep an eye on the British and prevent any surprise attacks on settlements in the countryside. As Washington explained, if the army was farther away, then "many of our friends would be exposed to all the miseries of the most insulting and wanton depredation. As his army marched into Valley Forge on December 19, Washington hoped that his officers and soldiers, with "one heart" and "one mind," would surmount the troubles that lay ahead of them.

While Washington knew most of his men were fit for duty, he calculated that at least a third of them had no shoes. Many did not have a decent coat to protect against the constant rain that plagued the camp. Campaign piece on Valley Forge produced in partnership with Mount Vernon. Washington ordered his soldiers to build wooden huts for themselves, twelve by twelve feet each, and then search the countryside for straw to use as bedding.

He hoped this would keep them warm since there were not enough blankets for everyone. 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.

Promising to "share in the hardship" and "partake of every inconvenience," Washington moved with his closest aides into a two-story stone house near Valley Forge Creek.

He complained of a "malignant faction," led by Horatio Gates , the hero of Saratoga , Thomas Mifflin, the nation's former Quartermaster General, and Thomas Conway, a French soldier of Irish descent, who had recently been named to the Board of War by Congress. Weekend Trolley Tours. Tour the Encampment. Bicycle Rentals. Become a Junior Ranger. Home School Days Museum Collections.

The Valley Forge Muster Roll. Last updated: October 4,