Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge Pennsylvania National Park

Of all the places associated with the American War for Independence, perhaps none has come to symbolize perseverance and sacrifice more than Valley Forge. The hardships of the encampment claimed the lives of one in ten, nearly all from disease. Despite the privations suffered by the army at Valley Forge, Washington and his generals built a unified professional military organization that ultimately enabled the Continental Army to triumph over the British.

Perhaps one of Washingtons soldiers said it best when he described his reasons for not abandoning the field despite the harsh conditions: