Qualities a soldier in the Continental Army needed in order to survive the Revolutionary War consisted of resilience, The encampment at Valley Forge took place from December 19, 1777 through June 19, 1778 and served as winter quarters for General George Washington 's Continental Army. Some of these men served out of patriotism, but many served for profit or individual liberty (as in the case of enslaved, indentured, and apprenticed peoples), and many more were coerced, as most colonies, on the advice of Congress and pressure from General Washington, introduced conscription in 1777. Even though camp markets and the establishment of a center for commissary operations brought food and supplies into camp, the establishment of the winter camp so close to the British caused the men additional hardship. Things didn't look so good for a long time. From this location 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia, Washington was close enough to maintain pressure on the enemy dwelling in the captured patriot capital, yet far enough to prevent a surprise attack on his own troops. Where can you find the descendents of General Nathanael Greene? One of the most immediate remedies against the weather and a lack of clothing was the construction of log shelters by the men. The popularity of the myth also speaks to its usefulness. Von Steuben taught the soldiers new military skills and to fight as a unified army. Valley Forge. While 2,000 men died that winter, Valley Forge is not the site of a battle. On December 19, 1777, when Washington's army marched into camp at Valley Forge, tired, cold, and ill-equipped, it was lacking in much of the training essential for consistent success on the battlefield. Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777-1778 during the American Revolutionary War. Von Steuben’s regulations extended beyond tactical instruction. They exuded the confidence of men who knew that they had come close to beating the British in battle. Which is the BEST explanation for why Washington selected Valley Forge as the location for his army's winter camp? In order to put the army on firmer footing, in 1777 the Continental Congress allowed George Washington to recruit soldiers for longer enlistments. Baron von Steuben assessed the army and recognized that Washington’s men needed more training and discipline. the entire system of drill, evolutions, maneuvers, discipline, tactics, and Prussian formation into our Army. By the fall, the British had pushed Washington’s unevenly trained and outnumbered force to the brink of defeat and established control over New York City and the states of New York and New Jersey. Valley Forge and the Revolution put the United States on a long road to defining those ideals in ways satisfactory to all – a process still in the making. Few Americans appreciate the scope of the war. As well, the participants had different values, and especially different ideas about what words such as liberty, equality, slavery, and freedom actually meant in practice. Jared S., Ledyard Middle School, Ledyard, CT. A. Valley Forge: Would you have quit/ re enlisted? Valley Forge, in the American Revolution, Pennsylvania encampment grounds of the Continental Army under General George Washington from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778, a period that marked the triumph of morale and military discipline over severe hardship. 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