Cold and starvation at Valley Forge were not even the most dangerous threats: diseases proved to be the biggest killer. As the National Park Service says, “Disease was the true scourge of the camp.” By the end of the six-month encampment, some 2,000 men—roughly one in six—died of disease.
What were the problems at Valley Forge?
At Valley Forge, there were shortages of everything from food to clothing to medicine . Washington's men were sick from disease, hunger, and exposure. The Continental Army camped in crude log cabins and endured cold conditions while the Redcoats warmed themselves in colonial homes.
What was the biggest challenge at Valley Forge?
Washington's biggest challenge was keeping his men in camp and keeping them alive, troop morale .
What caused the most deaths at Valley Forge?
Small pox, typhoid and pneumonia were the causes of many deaths. Out of the 12,000 men who arrived in Valley Forge, 3,000 soldiers died and another 2,000 left because they were so sick.
What was so bad about the winter at Valley Forge?
The winter at Valley Forge was a rough one . ... The Valley Forge Encampment was difficult because the soldiers lacked proper clothing and proper meals. There were seven winters during the Revolutionary War. The winters could be rated on the following scale: severe, moderate and mild.
Was there a cannibalism at Valley Forge?
Bentley Little, a pretty good horror writer, suggested in the early ‘ 90s there was cannibalism at Valley Forge , but he was nowhere near serious.
What Battle caused the British to lose the war?
The Battle of Yorktown was the last great battle of the American Revolutionary War. It is where the British Army surrendered and the British government began to consider a peace treaty.
Who won the Valley Forge battle?
The Continental Army's transformative experiences at Valley Forge reshaped it into a more unified force capable of defeating the British and winning American independence during the remaining five years of the war.
What did George Washington pray at Valley Forge?
He was at Prayer to the God of the Armies, beseeching to interpose with his Divine aid, as it was ye Crisis, & the cause of the country, of humanity & of the world. ‘Such a prayer I never heard from the lips of man. I left him alone praying.
When did Valley Forge end?
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.
Why did so many soldiers died at Valley Forge?
The soldiers who marched to Valley Forge on December 19, 1777 were not downtrodden or desperate. ... Yet cold and starvation were not the most dangerous threats to soldiers at Valley Forge: Diseases like influenza, dysentery, typhoid and typhus killed two-thirds of the nearly 2,000 soldiers who died during the encampment.
How many soldiers deserted at Valley Forge?
It was virtually a daily occurrence. From the British perspective, Donald Barr Chidsey relays in his book, Valley Forge (p. 26) that a reasonably precise figure is a Tory statement that between September 27, 1777 and March 26, 1778, that 1,134 men deserted the American Army and came into Philadelphia.
What was one reason Valley Forge was a good camp?
George Washington chose to make the winter camp at Valley Forge for several reasons. First, it was close to Philadelphia where the British were camping for the winter. He could keep an eye on the British and protect the people of Pennsylvania. ... Valley Forge was also a good place to defend if the army was attacked .
What happened at winter at Valley Forge?
The particularly severe winter of 1777-1778 proved to be a great trial for the American army, and of the 11,000 soldiers stationed at Valley Forge, hundreds died from disease . However, the suffering troops were held together by loyalty to the Patriot cause and to General Washington, who stayed with his men.
Why is it called Valley Forge?
The Valley Forge grounds were originally called Mt. Joy Manor after one of the two hills in Valley Forge [Mount Joy and Mount Misery] . It eventually came to be known as Valley Forge for the forge located in the valley between the two hills.
What happened at Valley Forge quizlet?
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 . Starvation, disease, and exposure killed nearly 2,500 American soldiers by the end of February 1778. ...
