The Patriots were feeling defeated after the first 2 years of war, and the makeshift Pennsylvania winter camp didn 't add to their spirits. Valley Forge was a tough time for the American Army, and many soldiers wanted to quit because of the hardships. If I were a soldier, I would have quit Valley Forge for a multitude of reasons. The living conditions were inadequate, there was a minimal amount of supplies, and illness and death was common in the camp. In essence, the cons of staying at Valley Forge outweighed the Pros.
It was the winter of 1777-1778. People were starting to second guess Washington and his choices he makes. Some soldiers enlistment time was almost up. It is below freezing, but the war is not over. It was the Winter at Valley Forge.
In December of 1777, American General George Washington and his men took shelter at Valley Forge for the winter. It was 18 miles northwest of the British camp in Philadelphia, and Washington thought it was a perfect spot. But that was not the case for the soldiers. The soldiers had it rough, and many did not want to enlist for the army after. Today, many people wonder if they would stay with George Washington, or not enlist and go home back to their families.
Valley Forge- Dec. 19 1777-June 19 1778. Valley Forge was the a winter camp for the continental army. This winter was one of the toughest winters the army faced. They lacked enough food and supplies that they need most. Washington had the toughest job: keeping the army together.
Soldiers that are living at Valley forge are tempted to pack up their things and leave because of the deaths and illnesses spreading through the “camp”. George Washington is the leader and he is urging people to stay and fight, having men say motivational speeches to the people. I would stay and fight at Valley Forge. The deaths and illnesses were never over 50% and the people who got sick only half of them died, I’d rather die for my freedom than die without a cause. Only about 6,887 illness records were recorded out of 20,000 people.
Therefore, I choose to stay at Valley Forge, for there is a chance for me to not die of sickness because of the medical care, there is also patriotism, and people are willing to fight for our freedom. The documents A and C prove that only 14% died of sickness. there were about 12,000 of us to start with, and only about 1,800- 2500 died from December to June. Therefore, that leaves just about 9,500 of us left. However, with all the people that abandoned the Continental Army leaves us with just about 8,000 of us.
Valley Forge was a winter camp 18 miles away from Philadelphia, where George Washington took his troops during 1777 and 1778. The British army is comfortable in Philadelphia, while Valley Forge has harsh conditions with the cold weather and the lack of supplies. I will not reenlist when my 9-month enlistment is over. I will not reenlist for these reasons, diseases, lack supplies, and cold weather and smoky air.
Valley Forge is a winter camp led by George Washington to train troops, and to win the Revolutionary war. I wouldn’t want to quit Valley Forge because I would want to fight for freedom for my country. In document A by: Noel F. Buch and researchers at William Clements Library of University of Michigan. It shows that you have to work hard to survive, and fight for your country. Less than ¼ of the people died out of 8000 people.
The army fell short of the ideal image the American public had created for it, as it lacked experience and professionalism. However, this would not last forever. The army gained professionalism during their time at Valley Forge, eventually resembling the institution the America public feared. Royster, defines Valley Forge as a, “test of national survival because it had been a test of the army’s survival amid hardships caused in large by fellow revolutionaries” (190). It also marked a turning point in the war, as it was the last time the revolutionaries expected to be united with the same enthusiasm as in 1775.
In 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 is a place where the Colonial Army stayed during the winter. I would stay at Valley Forge because I would be fighting for my freedom. For example, in the book, ‘The American Crisis’ by Thomas Paine, He explains some of the reasons for staying. “These are the times that try men’s souls.” This tells us that it brings motivation to the colonists.
Leaving Valley Forge Valley forge was a camp in the winter with bad conditions that made a lot of soldiers sick, George Washington trained the remaining soldiers. People staying will end up sick or dead. In the document Estimate of Illness and death (Document A) it shows the estimate or people dying from December 1777 - February 1778. It says in December - June there were 1800 to 2500 illnesses. Since they were not in the best conditions there were more deaths.
The winter of 1777-78 was terribly cold, bitter, and harsh. These conditions made things very difficult for General Washington’s military unit. The unit’s morale and physical strengths were severely tested throughout this challenging and historical time. On December 19, 1777, General George Washington, the Commander of the U.S. Continental Army led the troops to Valley Forge in Pennsylvania for a few different reasons.
Derek I Snedden POLS-Y 353 Professor Fowler 20 July 2015 Eagle Forum: The Pro-family movement The Eagle forum was founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and began as a trust fund to defend conservative agendas in 1967. During the proposal of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, Schlafly founded a group with more proactive approach called “Stop ERA” with one goal in mind, to defeat the ratification of ERA. After the success of the “Stop ERA” campaign, Phyllis Schlafly founded the eagle forum, a pro family group dedicated to “opposing all encroachments against American sovereignty through…feminist goals” (Schlafly). Althoug the primary interaction that eagle forum has had with the womens movement was the ERA, they also are incessantly combating
Cold was one problem, smoke was another. Hopefully, the soldiers will have the courage to make it through this devastating time. Lack of food, living conditions, and horrid climate are some reasons of why a soldier would quit Valley Forge. One reason a soldier would quit Valley Forge is the lack of food.
