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Valley Forge was the site of the camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777– 1778 in the American Revolutionary War. This was a time of great suffering for George Washington's army—but also a time of retraining and rejuvenation.
The army that entered camp on December 19, 1777 was reeling from defeats at Brandywine and Germantown. The British had occupied the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia, about 20 miles away. The American army was weak, poorly supplied, and ill. An estimated 2,500 men (out of 10,000) would die over the winter.
The Continental Army’s ordeal at Valley Forge—for generations a central national myth in the American historical consciousness—was not due to a harsh winter, but resulted from American mismanagement of resources and popular indifference to the plight of the army. Many local Pennsylvania farmers chose to sell their produce to the British in Philadelphia, who would pay in cash.
Yet the Continental Army also used the time at Valley Forge for reorganization and for much needed training, the latter directed by the Prussian Baron von Steuben. The army departed Valley Forge on June 19, 1778, in better shape than it had been six months earlier.
The site is now a United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in National Historical ParkNational Historical Park or National Historic Park is a designation for a protected area in the United States that has national historic significance and consists of more than single properties or buildings. National Historical Parks.. On July 4July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. Events 993 Saint Ulrich of Augsburg canonized. 1054 A supernova is observed by the Chinese and Amerindians near the star ζ Tauri. For severa, 19761976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 12 UN Security Council votes 11-1 to admit the Palestinian Liberation Organization January 15 Would-be Gerald Ford presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore is s the park was renamed as the Valley Forge National Historical Park.