Although any Valley Forge tour will focus on the time that General Washington and the Continental Army spent there in the winter of 1777-78, the town actually had some regional significance before the Revolution.
The name “Valley Forge” comes from an iron forge built on the banks of Valley Creek in the 1740s. In the colonial era, Valley Forge became established as a place to turn southeastern Pennsylvania’s natural resources, like timber and iron deposits, into usable products like horseshoes, nails, and metal tools. The town’s location on the banks of the Schuylkill River made it a central part of a trade network that spread throughout the state. Between its central location on the river and the presence of the iron forge, Valley Forge had actually been an important strategic site for the Continental Army for some time before they ultimately camped there.
In 1777, following their victory at the Battle of Brandywine, the British had taken control of the area surrounding the American capital of Philadelphia, including Valley Forge. A few days after the battle, General Washington dispatched Alexander Hamilton and a few other men to destroy supplies held at Valley Forge before the British could capture them, but their mission failed and the British raided the town, destroying the forge and seizing the supplies.
Ultimately, Washington chose to build the winter encampment in the hills overlooking Valley Forge for strategic reasons, including its high terrain and proximity to both the Schuylkill River and Philadelphia. After the end of the war, the iron forge was rebuilt and the town continued to be a center of industry for the area surrounding Philadelphia. However, it will always be most famous for the six months the Continental Army spent there, a turning point in the war.
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