Archive for June 4th, 2008
Valley Forge: All that History, just no Battle!
I know every school aged kid in America knows about Valley Forge. The bitterly cold & beaten army led by General Washington limping into this place waist high in snow, many soldiers with only rags covering their frostbitten and bloody feet! No food for these men to eat! Little shelter to brave out the harsh cold. It must have been a terrible battle that drove these beaten & desperate men here.
But did this really happen? The straight answer is no. Then why do we as Americans continue to teach this as a historical fact? The answer is American pride, propaganda, & quite frankly, many people just don’t know the true behind Valley Forge!
There really is not another place that represents the American Revolution while also conveying the suffering, sacrifice, & eventual American victory better than Valley Forge. Throughout the winter of 1777-1778, General Washington “Forged” the Continental Army into a well disciplined fighting force. But here at Valley Forge, no battles were fought between British soldiers and Americans. Over 2000 American soldiers died here. They died from hunger, disease, and Mother Nature. The weather was a pattern of change (rain, freeze, snow, melt, repeat…over and over again). There was food, thousands of loafs of bread were made daily. But there was a major shortage of meat! Also, the supply lines bringing food and other supplies often failed to supply this huge fighting force. Valley Forge is a National Historical Park because of the challenges George Washington and his army overcame to survive. Valley Forge is a symbol of that spirit to overcome against all odds. It is a symbol of perseverance that will eventually allow American to win its freedom and independence from Great Britain!
It was wonderful walking in Washington’s house. The original handrail thrilled me. Just imagine, touching it, using the handrail as I walked up & down the stairs in just the same way that Washington must have. I also enjoyed the “Continental Soldiers” dressed just the way they did 230 years ago! I had no idea that each piece of the uniform was so important and useful in many ways. I was also amazed that these men could fire & reload their weapons so fast! Weapon demonstrations are always one of my favorite events. And to top off my day at Valley Forge, we were allowed to view many artifacts from Valley Forge that are normally not accessible to the general public. This was really a great day for us American History junkies!
But wait, its not quite over. When we arrived back in Philly, we decided to go see Franklin Field where the Penn Relays used to always be run. It took a little while to figure out where the stadium was and how to get in, but then here I was on an Ivy League track. So of course I had to run a lap. Oh what a feeling to “fly” around that track with the wind blowing through my “hair?” well you know what I mean!
