America 250 Fall 2026 Lecture Series: The Road to Valley Forge

We may remember the 1776 crossing of the Delaware and the Valley Forge encampment as events that tested the endurance of the patriot forces, but the continental soldiers triumphed over scores of other hardships at places lesser known. In the fall of 1777, the Continental Army fought two key battles and marched hundreds of miles through all types of terrain and in all sorts of weather. Often deprived of food, sleep, and comfort, the soldiers deserve recognition for what they endured during this campaign for the cause of liberty. But it is not just the soldiers who struggled, thousands of civilians on the homefront had to deal with the same difficult conditions as two armies fought over the ground they called home.