MORE AMERICAN HISTORY  Valley Forge National Historic Park, Independence Hall

May 22-24, 2006

This day we set off for Valley Forge National Historic Park.  The park service has done a very nice job of making a big, open field interesting.  The story of Valley Forge is told with an introductory film at the visitor center.  A driving tour around the park helps visitors understand the challenges George Washington had to deal with during the famous winter of 1777-1778 and the lives his forces endured.  This famous Valley Forge winter was a crucial moment in the Revolutionary War.

One of the worst problems George faced during this period was that enlistees would complete their 6-month stint and then would leave for the winter.  A trained fighting force could not be maintained and many did not return.  So, Washington got the new congress to authorize a 3-year enlistment and offer incentives of land grants to replace the very fluid militia.

The war came to a halt every winter due to the difficulty of transporting equipment and men in the snow.  Small actions were possible, but large scale attacks and battles took a hiatus.  In selecting the Valley Forge site Washington kept his forces close enough to Philadelphia, the nation’s capitol at the time, to put pressure on the British forces that held positions there.

Washington deployed his 12000 men around the 3600-acre area and instructed them to build 12-man huts for shelter for the winter.  We were able to see examples of the construction and imagine how it might be to live here for the winter. 

We also visited the Isaac Potts home, which Washington used as his headquarters.  The house is furnished and decorated, as it would have been during Washington’s stay.

During this period Washington achieved two major steps forward.   First he hired a Prussian officer, Freidrich von Steuben, to train the troops.  Von Steuben’s hands on training program and daily drills turned the army into a proficient fighting unit. Second, with the diplomacy of Ben Franklin, France agreed to join the Continental Army and support it with troops, arms and money.  By the end of the encampment at Valley Forge George Washington had what he needed to prosecute the war and win.

That afternoon we returned to our house in the woods and found it permeated with the delightful aroma of cake.  We learned that the basement of the house operates as a bakery.  Master Bakers is known throughout the area for its award-winning wedding cakes. 

Although our hosts, Paul and Jerie Weldon, our hosts, are off sailing their new catamaran, their sons run the business.  Monday and Tuesday the cakes are baked and then later in the week a whole crew of decorators come in to ice and decorate the cakes to order.  They average 65 cakes a week, and now, as the busy wedding season begins, their orders pick up even more.  It was really interesting to watch the progress through the week.  Each bride has very specific instructions for the decorations, some with photos or samples, some with written descriptions.

The next day we went off to Philadelphia to learn about the path to independence from Britain.  We were disappointed with the lack of dynamic presentation of the many historic sites.  We went to the Visitor’s Center for our ticket to Independence Hall and viewed the introductory film.  Then we strolled around the 6 block area, visiting Ben Franklin’s grave, Carpenter’s Hall, the rental properties Ben built on market Street, Franklin Court, and finally we took our tour of Independence Hall, seeing the actual rooms and desks used by the First Continental Congress in 1775 and 1776 to debate and create the Declaration of Independence, in 1777 to adopt the Articles of Confederation, and later to debate and ratify the new Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Unfortunately the Liberty Bell was closed by the time our tour was over.