Challenges Forge Washington And The Continental Army Faced During Their Time At Valley Forge
The winter of 1777-1778 saw the Continental Army encamped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and the harsh and brutal conditions of that winter posed a number of significant challenges to George Washington and his troops. This essay will identify and discuss five key challenges that Washington and the Continental Army faced during their time at Valley Forge.
Firstly, one of the most pressing challenges was the severe lack of supplies and provisions. The Continental Army was already in a precarious position before settling at Valley Forge, but the winter conditions made it almost impossible to maintain adequate supplies of food, clothing or shelter. The Continental Congress was struggling to provide the Army with the necessary funding, and widespread
…show more content…
The Valley Forge winter was one of the coldest and harshest in American history, with temperatures regularly dropping below freezing and snowfall amounting to several feet. The trials of living in such conditions were compounded by the lack of adequate clothing, blankets or shelter, which led many soldiers to fall ill or die from exposure.
Thirdly, desertion became a major issue at Valley Forge. The harsh conditions combined with the sense of hopelessness and despair were a powerful demotivator, and many soldiers gave up and absconded from the camp. Desertion was a significant problem in the Continental Army as a whole, but it was particularly pronounced at Valley Forge, where soldiers were faced with a bleak and unrelenting situation.
Fourthly, morale within the Army was at an all-time low. The hardships of the winter had taken their toll on the soldiers, who were demoralized and disillusioned with the cause. Many were questioning the wisdom of continuing the fight against the British, and some were even considering defecting to the other side. Washington was acutely aware of this challenge, and he made it a priority to boost morale by holding regular drills, giving inspiring speeches and encouraging officers to lead by
A Summary Of Washington's Journey To The Forks
510 Words | 3 PagesDuring 1754 “Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddie(governor of the British) he prompted Washington to lieutenant colonel of the Virginia Regiment and charged him with raising an army of two hundred men to defend Fort Prince George.” () He had struggle and many farmers refused to give food, horse, unsteady wagons. Even in a month, they only had 150 men and they didn’t have any uniforms to wear or tents to protect them from the rain. Also they had few cannons with them.
DBQ: Stay Or Leave At Valley Forge
277 Words | 2 PagesStay or Leave at Valley Forge George Washington and his men retreat from the British after they took Philadelphia, so General Washington and his men retreat about 18 miles northwest from Philadelphia and created a camp for the winter. Even though the estimates of all the soldiers was about 12,000 men, and it was said that at the end of the winter there were only 8,000 men was all not true. Not all of the death counts were accurate. About half of those numbers could have been men that left, or men that were stricken ill, but recovered and rejoined the army. The sickness count was about 40-50%, and the death count was only 10-12%.
Reasons Why Bob Won The Battle Of Trenton
816 Words | 4 PagesMost of the troops were really hungry from the trip they took south. From there they met with General Howe and marched north from New York city. But their idea was a terrible Idea, the had to walk 20 miles through the wilderness, had to build bridges, had to cut down trees, and layout there right throughout the 20 miles. There were slowed down with 600 wagons and 30 of them were with the troops belongings. Also General Howe led his troops to Philadelphia, where he wanted to lead Washington into a big
Summary Of 1776 By David Mccullough
873 Words | 4 PagesOther problems included a lack of supplies, specifically gun powder to distribute among the men and the fact that all the men were from different sorts, another problem that he face was that they would not be willing to train, another problem that he face was that his new unruly recruit which were hardly fit for battle and had insufficient firearms, another problem that he face was that many of the officers had little idea of what to do. Another problem that he face was that the army did not have any mortals they would rather continue having their clothes smell then clean themselves, another problem that he face was that the army presented poor behavior due to a lack of order and obedience among the men which resulted in becoming the embarrassment of the country. Another problem that he endures while commanding the continental army was that the soldiers were barely trained or were unequipped for battle and they would not be willing to train. George Washington face, yet another problem he had while commanding the army was that most of them had very little or no clue of they would supposed to do and many of them were also underfed, and many also use there firearms whenever they
Summary Of 1776 By David Mccullough
1670 Words | 7 PagesNot only did Washington lose 3000 men, but he was forced to abandon New York. The British, on the other hand, when they heard the news, were overjoyed that the campaign was going so well in the
How To Quit Valley Forge Dbq
263 Words | 2 PagesValley Forge, The Winter Camp of Death and Illness I would quit and leave Valley Forge. Valley Forge is a winter camp that soldiers had to stay at. I have many evidences that I would quit Valley Forge. One evidence that I would quit is from Doc A. It is the research estimate of illness and death at Valley Forge.
153 George Washington's Army To Spy On The British Army
440 Words | 2 Pages151 Young troops were very happy and cheerful to be there (paraphrase). This reason is causing me to re-enlist because the spirit in Washington’s army keeps me from leaving. Having everyone around me staying in good spirit did not let me go One of the reason my fellow soldiers would decide to not re-enlist is because the sickness. The estimated death of sickness or encampment stated in DOC A: “december-june 1,800 to 2,500”.
Reasons Why Washington's Army Faced At Valley Forge
458 Words | 2 PagesI 'm a very good math person so I 'm always running numbers through my head and thinking of the odds and Washington 's army didn 't have the best odds you could easily tell more than half of them were sick and that 's a lot more than is usual for an army. At any point the British could come and attack us and they would easily win. My second reason is the food shortage and limitation. I have to eat every so often because i 'm always hungry, Washington 's
How To Enlist Valley Forge Dbq
293 Words | 2 PagesI could feel the rough winds and cold air hit my face. In the winter of 1777, Washington set out to Valley Forge, a place just 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia where the British lay. During this winter, it brought us some life threatening hardships. Would you re-enlist? I will not re-enlist Valley Forge for the following reasons of death and illness, harsh conditions, and lack of supplies and support.
Why Did The Soldier And George Washington Survive The Winter
796 Words | 4 PagesGeorge Washington and many other generals rented out rooms or whole farm houses for the entire encampment. Most of the time the soldiers cut down trees for firewood, went in the surrounding countryside to gather food, and when the weather improved trained for battle. Many soldiers survived because they experience hardships before in Washington’s Army. 2. Were there any soldiers that didn’t respect George Washington?
Valley Forge Essay
856 Words | 4 PagesIn the winter, Washington took his troops to Valley Forge, which was 18 miles from Philadelphia. At this time, Valley Forge was a difficult place to live for the Patriots. It was a struggle but if I were a Patriot in Valley Forge fighting for Washington’s Army, I wouldn’t quit. I won’t quit for three big reasons; yes I know there were a lot of sick soldiers but not as much as dying soldiers, another thing is the conditions were horrible, but there were many brave soldiers who stuck with it, and stayed with Washington, lastly I do not want to be a “summer soldier” because freedom is valuable so it is worth fighting for.
Valley Forge: Turning Point Of The Revolutionary War
831 Words | 4 PagesThere were farms and small stores in the area, but there was not enough food to feed all of the soldiers and many became desperate and attempted to steal food from the farmers and food stores. Washington ended up writing to Congress, saying subsistence in the best manner they can ... “I am now convinced, beyond a doubt that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place… this army must inevitably be reduced to one or other of these three things. Starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain …” After letting Congress know this, General Washington received a message saying a large British group of troops was nearby (Allen 27).
A Brief Summary Of Washington's Crossing By David Hackett Fischer
1042 Words | 5 PagesFischer states that the remaining soldiers were made up of groups of state militias. As the Americans are becoming more and more discouraged, Thomas Paine writes another article called “The American Crisis”. Fischer claims that this article put the spirit back into many Americans and some went up in arms once again. As the cold winter months approached, Washington had a plan. On Christmas night, December 25, 1776; Washington would move his troops across the Delaware River.
Why Did The Us Win The Revolutionary War Essay
483 Words | 2 PagesThe soldiers were inadequately trained and lacked ammunition, food, and other provisions. They sometimes even went without clothing and went barefoot in the winter. However, General Washington was able to give them direction and encourage them to persevere. The common soldier would prove important.
How To Write An Essay On If I Were A Soldier
1505 Words | 7 PagesValley Forge At the time of George washington felt bad about how they were treated. The soldiers did not have good food, the soldiers were living in bad conditions in the year 1777 because the house has holes and they had bad food and In the morning it was really cold. If I were a soldier, I would re-enlist because they are losing people and they need people. I would re-enlist so I could fight for my nation, they need more people and i don't want to be a summer soldier.
More about Challenges Forge Washington And The Continental Army Faced During Their Time At Valley Forge
A Summary Of Washington's Journey To The Forks
510 Words | 3 PagesDBQ: Stay Or Leave At Valley Forge
277 Words | 2 PagesReasons Why Bob Won The Battle Of Trenton
816 Words | 4 PagesSummary Of 1776 By David Mccullough
873 Words | 4 PagesSummary Of 1776 By David Mccullough
1670 Words | 7 PagesHow To Quit Valley Forge Dbq
263 Words | 2 Pages153 George Washington's Army To Spy On The British Army
440 Words | 2 PagesReasons Why Washington's Army Faced At Valley Forge
458 Words | 2 PagesHow To Enlist Valley Forge Dbq
293 Words | 2 PagesWhy Did The Soldier And George Washington Survive The Winter
796 Words | 4 PagesValley Forge Essay
856 Words | 4 PagesValley Forge: Turning Point Of The Revolutionary War
831 Words | 4 PagesA Brief Summary Of Washington's Crossing By David Hackett Fischer
1042 Words | 5 PagesWhy Did The Us Win The Revolutionary War Essay
483 Words | 2 PagesHow To Write An Essay On If I Were A Soldier
1505 Words | 7 Pages