The Continental Army at Valley Forge

In the winter of 1778 George Washington led his troops which were like down because all the defeats and the battles lost, to Valley Forge. there he planed to camp during winter, and prepare for the battle with the return of the warmth weather. Since the British entered Philadelphia now, the Washington forces wanted to take out the British out of their main city.


The conditions in the camp were not the best, they were living in crowded quarters, and the 12,000 members of Washington's army were suffering from having not the adequate clothing and food.  Abut 2,000 died and the army of George Washington was disintegrating. However as time passed a transformation occurred, under Washington's leadership conditions improved, and new helps reached the camp lifting spirit. Baron Von Steuben helped the army a lot by discipline the troops, he was a member of the General Staff of the Prussian army. Steuben arrived in camp in February with a letter of introduction from Benjamin Franklin whom he had met in Paris

Washington assigned Van Steuben to train his army, which helped the army bring confidence with all the schooling that Steuben taught.

Out of this terrible winter emerged a new Army, confident and ready to do battle. On June 19, 1778 the British abandoned Philadelphia and marched back to New York City. Washington led his Continental Army in pursuit. w. The War for Independence would last another five years, but a major victory of the spirit had been won during the winter at Valley Forge.

Washington crosses the Delaware River

  The British had forced the Continental Army to abandon New Jersey, so this make them have the control of Rhode Island and New Jersey and make them think that the revolution has been crushed. Washington had to do something and quickly because his commands in the militia were due to expire in that month and all the soldiers were going back home.


His decision was to attack the British. The target was the Hessian-held town of Trenton just across the Delaware River. So in the night of Christmas in 1776. In the night of Christmas i 1776, Washington led his troops toward the icy and dangerous Delaware River. The climate was raging winds combined with snow and  it was icy cold. Also some members of the troop marched through the snow without shoes. 

 So the next morning Washington troops attacked the Hessian fores, which were tired and drunk from the Christmas night. After fighting the Hessians surrender, and Washington's victory was complete. Washington and his commanding officers decided to retrace their steps across the Delaware taking their Hessian prisoners with them.

The news of the American victory spread rapidly and make the revolution spirit again.  The battle's winning also gave Washington and his officers the confidence to make another campaign. On December 30 they again crossed the Delaware, attacked and won another victory at Trenton on January 2, and then pushed on to Princeton defeating the British there on January 3.

This battles were a decisive point in the Revolution because they give the colonial army for confident and support from other armies too, the British now were aware of the cleverness of the wash

The crossing  of the Delaware river, in the Christmas night  energized the tired and sad Colonial army, and gave the American people a reason to celebrate.

Thomas Paine

Born January 29, 1737
Husband of Mary Lambert— married
Died June 8, 1809 



Thomas Paine was a writer and revolutionary. He was born in Thetford, England, and lived and worked in Britain until age 37, he immigrated to the British American colonies, in time to participate in the American Revolution.


Thomas Paine will be most remembered because he is the writer of the famous book called Common Sense, published January 10. 1776. It expressed the ideas behind the American Revolution.
In a time when there were only two million free colonists living in America, 100,000 copies were sold in just three months!  It was read by everyone.
The publication of this hugely popular pamphlet, along with other similar publications, would lead to his legacy as the Father of the American Revolution.
After the American Revolution ended, he moved back to England were he was outlawed for treason for defending the French Revolution. In 1792 he fled to France. He greatly influenced the French Revolution. He wrote the Rights of Men(1791), a guide to Enlightenment ideas. Despite not speaking French, he was elected to the French National Convention in 1792.