George Washington’s Continental Army spent its famous winter encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, beginning in December 1777. The army arrived on December 19 after British forces captured Philadelphia.
Valley Forge was not a battle site. It was a defensible position about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where the army could monitor British movements while remaining near the occupied city. Soldiers constructed huts and endured shortages of food, clothing, and supplies during the winter of 1777–1778.
The encampment lasted until June 1778. Conditions were severe, and thousands of soldiers died from disease and exposure, but the army also improved its organization and training. Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, helped introduce standardized drills and discipline. When Washington’s forces left Valley Forge, they were better prepared for the campaign that followed.