Valley Forge Dbq

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Though no military battle was fought here during the Revolutionary War, approximately 2,000 troops died over the 1777-1778 winter months that the American army spent in Valley Forge under Washington’s leadership.
George Washington and his men spent the winter of 1777-1778 encamped at Valley Forge. The weather was bitter cold and the snow was deep, leading to one of the most miserable experiences that any army in history ever had to endure. Washington’s men were ragged, and since few had shoes, they needed to wrap their feet in old rags for protection against the elements. Bloody tracks were left where they walked, since there were no horses available to provide transportation. Troops with enough clothes to work outdoors cut down trees to
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Since the farmers refused American paper dollars in exchange for the food, and since Washington had no gold or silver to trade, the soldiers were left without the farmers’ bounty. Regardless, there was no way to transport the food and produce safely. To add to the soldiers’ plight, the Continental Congress, meeting in York, Pennsylvania during that winter, was in debt and unable to alleviate Washington’s dire plight.
Determine to keep his little army together, Washington stayed with his men in Valley Forge and shared their hardships. Many soldiers left when their enlistment terms expired and others who were half-starved and –frozen simply walked through the woods to go home. The remaining courageous and determined soldiers became the core of a new American army that would go on to win war.
Toward the end of the winter, Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a professional German officer who had served under Frederick the Great, joined Washington in Valley Forge to teach the troops drilling and maneuvering principles. These new basic military training techniques taught American troops how to handle guns properly, execute commands, and conduct themselves as experienced soldiers. Von Steuben’s training helped the troops win their next battle, in Monmouth, in June following their Valley Forge