The Story of Valley Forge

The lowest point of the American side in the Revolutionary War was the winter of 1777 - 1778, when the forces under George Washington were forced to winter at Valley Forge. It was a desperate time for the American forces, lacking in food, clothing and shelter, the soldiers had nothing other than their belief that they were fighting for a just cause. As is always the case, war profiteers managed to take their cut while the troops were suffering. Washington himself wrote: "I would to God that one of the most atrocious [of the profiteers] of each state was hung upon a gallows five times as high as the one prepared by Haman. No punishment in my opinion is too great for the man who can build his greatness upon his country's ruin." Yet, somehow, a core remnant of the American army remained cohesive and emerged from the winter in better shape than before. Furthermore, a small group of European officers joined the American forces and taught them how to fight against the professional soldiers of the British army. Names like Casimir Pulaski, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Baron von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette should be known by all school children, as their expertise turned the undisciplined troops of Washington's army into a cohesive fighting force. This is a story that all school children should learn; the survival of the American army at Valley Forge was the turning point in the war as it was the last time when the American forces could have been completely defeated.

The "Cornerstones of Freedom" series does an excellent job of providing in depth information about historical events for students in upper elementary or junior high school. "Valley Forge" starts with the American Army avoiding barely avoiding being annihilated at the Battle of Brandywine. In the brutal winter of 1777 the colonial army limped into Valley Forge a disorganized and low on supplies and morale. The two things R. Conrad Stein's book focuses on are the severe conditions the troops faced and how they were transformed into a more professional fighting force. Students will learn about not only the leadership shown by commanding general George Washington, but also the efforts by Nathanael Greene to provide better equipment and Baron Friedrich von Steuben to drill the troops in marching and shooting. The improvement was seen the following year at the Battle of Monmouth. This book is filled with paintings and etchings from the 18th and 19th centuries along with contemporary photographs of the National Park. One of the strengths of this book is that Stein often uses quotations from the ordinary soldiers and military leaders of the American army to flesh out the narrative. I found these quite effective in giving young readers a better sense of what things were like at Valley Forge.