| What makes it historical? |
Frostbite, starvation, and cramped quarters plagued the Continental Army’s camp at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778, but this spot was super important, close enough to Philadelphia to spy on the British occupants but far enough away to avoid risk of a surprise attack! 12,000 soldiers camped here, including George Washington, James Monroe, John Marshall, Benedict Arnold, and both Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr! Also serving here were the Prussian Baron von Steuben, who drilled the soldiers and turned them into an elite fighting force, and the Marquis de Lafayette, who facilitated official French financial and military aid to the American cause! In many ways, Valley Forge was where the American military came of age!
In case you were wondering, Valley Forge got its name from the literal ironworks owned by Stephen Evans, Daniel Walker, and Joseph Williams. It was first called the Mount Joy Forge and later renamed to the Valley Forge, which gave its name to the local village where George Washington set up his headquarters. Today, there is nothing left of these forges because the British burned them to the ground in September of 1777! |
