NOTE: This is lined up evenly when I edit. Will fix when I figure it out.

The winter at Valley Forge is known by most Americans as a time of great suffering for the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington. Why do we remember it?

 

Take this quiz and test your knowledge of what really happened:

 

 

 

1. The Revolutionary War lasted from 1776-1783, eight long years. During the winter of which year was Valley Forge occupied?

            a. first                                                  b. third

            c. last                                                   d. fifth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. During the winter at Valley Forge, how many cabins did the army build?

            a. less than 100                                    b. 200

            c. 350                                                  d. over 1,000

 

3. The length of the encampment was  _______ .

            a. 500 yards                                         b. ½ mile

            c. 3 miles                                             d. 1 ½  miles

 

4. __________ men died at Valley Forge in 4 ½   months.

            a. 75-100                                             b. 250-300

            c. 1700                                                            d. 450-500

 

5. How many loaves of bread were baked each day at Valley Forge?

            a. 200-300                                           b. 750-1000

            c. 12,000-14,000                                 d. 3,000-4,000

 

6. How many men slept in each cabin?

            a. 1-3                                                   b. 3-5

            c. 4-5                                                   d. 10-12

 

7. How long did it take a soldier to reload his musket?             

            a. 1 minute                                          b. 1½ minutes

            c. 30 seconds                                       d. 15 seconds

                                                                                                  

8. Most of the casualties at Valley Forge were from____________.

            a. starvation                                  b. exposure (freezing to death)

            c. disease                                     d. being wounded

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.  In the spring the troops rejoiced when the soldiers got word that______________.

            a. more provisions were on the way    b. France had formed an alliance with them

            c. each of them would get a horse      d. their new uniforms had arrived

 

10. General von Steuben’s influence on the army included:

            a. standardizing weapons and supplies b. establishing common commands

            c. the birth of a professional army        d. all of the above

 

 

 

Answers:

 

1. (a) The winter at Valley Forge occurred from 1777-1778, the third year of the war. It is remembered in history because of the high death toll and the romanticizing of the story to teach lessons of perseverance.

 

2. (d) The troops built a small city with upwards of 1,000 cabins complete with bunks and fireplaces. Many accounts record the comfort of living in the cabins and the pride the soldiers had in building them. They also constructed five redoubts (earthen forts), miles of trenches and a bridge that spanned the Schuylkill River.

 

3. (c) The length of the encampment was approximately three miles, and the perimeter measured over seven miles.

 

4. (c) Over 1,700 of the 12,000 men encamped at Valley Forge died between December, 1777, and May, 1778. This was the highest death toll recorded during the eight years of the Revolutionary War.

 

5. (c) 12,000 to 14,000 loaves of bread were baked every day. 600 men baked in three 8-hour shifts, seven days a week to help feed the army.

 

6. (d) Ten to twelve men occupied each cabin. The soldiers slept two or three across on the same level of the bunk beds. The beds were made of wooden slats covered with hay. Considering the men were issued soap only twice a month, and military regulations only required them to wash from elbows to fingertips and their faces, they were not living in the most sanitary conditions.

 

7. (d) Despite all the steps involved to ready a musket, a well-trained soldier could fire, reload, and fire again within fifteen seconds. The musket balls could travel up to 800 yards. It was necessary to have two opposing teeth in order to bite off the end of the gun powder packets.

 

8. (c) Contrary to the myths associated with Valley Forge, disease was the major cause of death in the camp; starvation and exposure were not the main reasons for casualties. In fact, flu, typhus, typhoid fever and dysentery claimed nearly 2/3 of the victims in the warmest months of March, April, and May when provisions were at their highest level.

 

9. (b) France formally recognized the United States as a sovereign power and agreed to help fight the British in early May of 1778. This news further uplifted the soldiers’ morale and commitment to their cause.

 

10. (d) Von Steuben standardized many procedures, weapons, and protocols at Valley Forge. Once the majority of soldiers had the same muskets, for example, supplying ammunition was no longer such a nightmare. Basic commands were unified under one system and became more effective. Thirteen different armies arrived at Valley Forge and one professional army emerged to continue the fight much more effectively.