Continental+Army+Winters+at+Valley+Forge

=__﻿HARDSHIP AND REVENGE AT VALLEY FORGE__= __LIBERTY KIDS: #24 "VALLEY FORGE" PART 1__ media type="youtube" key="92KZNSt5j2U?fs=1" height="385" width="480" __LIBERTY KIDS: #24 "VALLEY FORGE" PART 2__ media type="youtube" key="KQVGPyr_5QI?fs=1" height="385" width="480" It is a cold winter in 1777 on December 19 when Washington took his troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge after the battle of Black Hill. Washington believes this is the best for his men but doesnt realize the hardship that is ahead of him until it him and his troops smack in the face. Congress gave them little supplies and food which made survival and health conditions immensely hard for them. The men in Washington's troop were going left and right due to all the hardship that they have to endure during the hard, cold and lonesome winter. The troop was getting weaker and weaker by the day and supplies were becoming mroe scarse, and it was getting to the point where the encouraging words of their superiors like Washington werent even helping. The supply shortage was what was getting to the men of the troops. They had limited meat and bread and had to resort to " Fire Cakes" which was an absolute tastless mixture of flour and water. Obviously as a grown man you couldnt get as much nourishment from that than yu truly needed to keep you going on throughout the day. Many thought if government didn't begin to tak part in this war that they would all dissolve away due to the coldness, starvation or illness that would fall upon them if they keep living the way they due at Valley Forge. They did successfully though made huts and log huts that the men described as cozy. The regular hut took them about 3 days to contruct while a log hut with only one axe when up in one week surprisingly. Having these huts helped the troops out but, just wasn't completely enough to keep them healthy and going. When Washington thought all hope was lost as he watch his troops disintegrate from diseases, harsh climates and starvation, hope sprang when supplies finally came in. It took the continental congress long enough to respond because a majority of the time George Washington himself has been supporting this army with his own money right out his pocket. by the end of the war Washington would have used $449,261.50 of his own money and do you want to know his salary for being leader of the Continental Army was? It $0 and that isn't even a joke. You would think the Continental Congress would support his men more knowing that but they didn't. Continental Congress was greedy and inconsiderate of the difficulties Washington and his troops' were going through. Another hope sprang when Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben came to help Washington. Steuben was once an elite member of the Prussian Army and offered his skills and teachings to the Patriots. Steuben was a great help to Washington's men and mended them into a great army. Not only did they make there once sad and spiritless clump of men into a real Continental Army, but they now have the French on their side who will lead our country into a victory against the great Britain army.

__**My 3 In-Depth Questions on Valley Forge**__ 1. If America was economically stronger, do you think we still would asked France for help? do you think we still would of won the war? 2. Do you think we still would of had a chance against Britain if we played by the rules more? 3. How was the victory at Valley Forge a great impact on our country's status? www.youtube.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Forge http://wikihistoria.wikispaces.com/Valley+Forge
 * __Sources__**