Washington and Valley Forge Study Guide

• Study notes on topics from George Washington to Valley Forge

George Washington

• Tasked with preparing the untrained Continental Army to fight the British Army
• Born in Virginia
• First job was a land surveyor
• Served in the VA militia and fought for the British in the French and Indian War
• Member of the VA House of Burgesses
• Married to Martha Custis
• Lived at Mount Vernon, a plantation on the Potomac River in VA

Victory in Trenton

• Washington planned a surprise attack on the Hessians in Trenton, NJ
• On December 25, 1776, Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River from PA to NJ
• The password was “Victory or Death!”
• The Hessians surrendered to Washington's forces
• The conditions during the crossing and attack were bitter cold, snowy, and icy
• This victory was important because the Continental Army had been losing and needed the win for hope

Continental Army and Slavery

• Initially, slaves were not allowed in the army due to fears of rebellion if armed
• Washington owned slaves at the time
• In 1776, Washington changed his mind because the British were promising freedom to slaves who joined their army
• African Americans participated in the Battle of Trenton on the Continental Army side
• Some states freed slaves that fought for the Patriots
• Washington freed his slaves after the war

The Continental Army

• Disadvantages:
  • Made up of volunteers
  • Very little money and few supplies
  • Few weapons
  • Poorly supplied with uniforms
  • Poorly supplied food
  • Tiny navy
  • Army was inexperienced and untrained
  • Not enough soldiers
• Advantages:
  • Knew the land well
  • Close to home
  • Stronger motivation to win
  • Believed they were fighting for freedom and rights in the Declaration of Independence
  • Had a great leader in George Washington

The British Army

• Advantages:
  • Had the strongest navy in the world
  • Large, well-trained, and experienced army
  • Full-time soldiers
  • Had money to buy food, weapons, and supplies
  • Had mercenaries (Hessians)
  • Some Native Americans fought with them
• Disadvantages:
  • Great Britain was fighting elsewhere in the world
  • Far from home (3,000 miles)
  • Took 3 months to get supplies from Great Britain to America
  • Less eager and motivated to fight in a country that was not their home

New Jersey during the Revolution

• Known as the “Crossroads of the Revolution” because NJ was a highway between Philadelphia, PA, and New York City, NY
• Both the Americans and the British wanted to control these two cities
• New Jersey had several iron mills where muskets and cannons were made
• New Jersey had fertile soil to grow crops to feed the army
• The Hudson River flows through New York state
• The Delaware River flows between PA and NJ

Battle of Saratoga

• British General John Burgoyne wanted to capture the Hudson River Valley to cut off the New England colonies and NY
• British forces marched south from Canada, but the Patriots attacked from the woods, forcing the British to cut through woods and swamps
• Thaddeus Kosciuszko, from Poland, placed cannons on cliffs above Albany, and more Patriots arrived
• The British were outnumbered
• Saratoga proved to Europeans that colonists could beat the British, leading to support from Europe (turning point of the war), including troops, ships, and supplies from France

Marquis de Lafayette

• Wealthy French nobleman
• Served as a Major General under George Washington

Valley Forge

• Washington camped out for winter at Valley Forge, PA
• Very bad conditions:
  • Bitter cold and windy
  • Many soldiers left/went home
  • 2,500 died of disease
  • Very little supplies and food (ate firecakes: Water, flour, cooked in fire)
  • 1 out of 3 had no shoes and used rags for shoes
• Friedrich von Steuben (from Prussia) helped train troops