Valley Forge was the Revolutionary War encampment famous for the Continental Army’s winter hardships.
General George Washington’s army camped at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania from December 1777 to June 1778. The site lay roughly 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia, which British forces occupied during the winter. Washington selected it because it offered a defensible position near the army’s supply routes.
The army suffered from shortages of food, clothing, shelter, and supplies. Disease also caused many deaths, although the popular image of universal starvation oversimplifies the varied experiences of the encampment. Soldiers constructed log huts and maintained military training while the army reorganized.
Prussian military officer Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge in February 1778 and helped train the troops. His instruction improved drill, discipline, and battlefield organization. The Continental Army left in June 1778, better prepared for the fighting that followed. Valley Forge became a lasting symbol of endurance during the independence struggle.