General George Washington- Father of Our Country
When you think of George Washington, you think of him being our first president of The United States and the reason The American's won independence. He was the leader and General of The Continental Army during The Revolution. It was also his leadership that helped The Americans survive through the winter at Valley Forge.We all commonly refer to George Washington as the father of our country and one of the worlds foremost experts in the use of espionage. He was a natural born leader beginning in his adolescent years. He never deserted his men to save his own life in battle and countless time put himself between his men and ememy fire. George wanted the least amount of causalities as possible and made that his goal. Click the time line link to learn more about George Washington's life.
Valley Forge
George Washinton's spy tactics are what helped this country become independent. Without him, we might not be where we are today. His army of 11,000 men went into The Valley Forge Camp in Pennsylvania in December of 1777. Conditions from the beginning were horrible and the men had to endure much adversity. Many died of disease and starvation.Many of Washington's men attempted to desert the army.Washington took control once again and hired General Von Steuben to turn the camp around. Steuben saved Valley Forge by training the soldiers and creating manuals that are still used today. He established standards of sanitation and camp layouts that would still be standard a century and a half later. He also introduced the bayonet to the American soldiers and showed them how to use it sucessfully on the battlefield. One could argue without the use of bayonetts, we would have easily lost the war. The soldiers at Valley Forge learned how to do guerrilla warfare which came in handy in many battles. Even though about 2,000 men died at Valley Forge, thanks to Washinton and Von Steuben the American's emerged as a trained and displined fighting force.turned it around in the end and developed soldiers that were physically and mentally ready to fight for their independence.