Valley Forge

Valley Forge was vital in determining the outcome of the Revolutionary war. Not only did the soldiers have to endure harsh winter conditions, low morale, and a leader who feared losing his troops, but they also had to fight with all that they had left. With little to eat, and hardly any clothing or shelter, writings such as the profound American Crisis helped to improve the soldiers’ morale.

Throughout the winter at Valley Forge, Commander in Chief George Washington and his troops had particularly low morale. Nothing was going well for anyone, they were discouraged, suffering, and Washington feared losing his troops when their terms ended. Accordingly, Washington advised his officers to read American Crisis to their soldiers, which proved to effectively raise their morale and fighting spirit.

The conditions which the soldiers camped at Valley Forge had to endure cannot be overlooked. As said by Albigence Waldo in his diary, a surgeon at Valley Forge, conditions could have been described as, “Poor food – hard lodging – cold weather – fatigue – Nasty cloths – and nasty Cookery.” Throughout his diary, Waldo wrote about the little food and clothes the soldiers had, all of the sickness, and the lack of the necessities of life. Out of the 10,000 soldiers, more than 2,000 died. The rest were left battling the cold, hunger, and fatigue of Valley Forge.

Without Valley Forge, the Revolutionary War may not have ended with the colonies celebrating their freedom. The courage and bravery of the soldiers, generals, and commanders who were posted at Valley Forge helped them continue fighting for independence. The soldiers in the army, however, may not have been able to keep fighting without the encouragement of Thomas Paine. His writing of American Crisis, successfully raised troops’ morale, and led them to eventually win the war.