We saw Hopewell Furnace, Penn. Mark Bird, the founder, came to this area t make a mill.Mark Bird knew of the brewing Revolutionary War. That in mind he thought that his could help the colonists by providing them cannons for the war. At first they made fine Hopewell stoves. In the end they made about 4000 stoves. The stoves were made by professional molders. At first the hand craved wood forms then boxes were put around them to keep the sand they put to form molds. The hand craved wood forms were dusted with charcoal. Then the mold was filled with compacted sand that could be used for molds. Then another side is made the same way but with a gate to pour the metal into the mold Then the mold was taken to the Blast Furnace and metal was poured in to the mold. At the peak of it’s period it was supplying 15% of the world iron products. The British destroyed most of the furnaces, because they could supply the Continental Army with weapons, but they didn’t destroy Hopewell furnace. Then they started to make something they had never made before, munitions. The iron industry did this “learning by doing” to make cannon, shot and much more. At Hopewell 115 larger guns were made. More important they, supplied shot and shell for the US Navy and Army all though War.
We also saw Brandywine Battlefield, Penn. This was the place that Howe attacked George Washington’s force of men.
English was trying to cut the Rebels in half by taking the Hudson River. General Burgoyne went to capture the city of Albany, but was stopped at Saratoga. Desperate for troops he waited there but never got the troops because they were trying to get the new nations capital, Philadelphia instead of reinforcing Burgoyne. Then they attacked Washington army. Washington covered most of the near by fords and didn’t know about some of the fords up north. Howe knew of the two fords that Washington didn’t know of. Washington put the most of his forces at Chadd’s. Then Howe sent the Hessians to attack Washington’s main line. Then he took most of his troops and snuck around to attack the flank of George Washington’s line the Patriots fell back. They tried to hold there place but were unable to do that they started a orderly retreat. Then the British captured Philadelphia, but they had lost at Saratoga helping us gain the help of the French letting us win the war with Britain. They went to Valley Forge for winter quarters.
The last thing we saw was Valley Forge. This was the place of a Forge before the British burned it down two months earlier than the Americans came to Valley Forge.
In the Fall 1777 Washington’s army goes to the winter quarters in Valley Forge. On December 19th they arrive at Valley Forge. In January the poorly supplied army got cloths, supplies and food in January from a captured British ship. Then in February Howe resigns his post and remains in America until he can be replaced also Baron von Steuben comes. In March, von Steuben starts to train a model company of soldiers and Clinton replaces Howe. The alliance with France is confirmed. In April, a major general is taken out of a British prison and the model troop trains the other troop. In May, May Day is celebrated and the religious ceremonies. A group of Indians join the cause of the Americans. On June 19th the army moves back to Philadelphia, after the British went a way from it. The killer of most of the soldiers was disease. The types diseases were influenza, typhoid, typhus and dysentery. For 1 soldier dying of battle 10 died of disease. Wood huts took 80 trees to make a hut and 1000 huts were made along a ridge line in view of Philadelphia but far enough to not have a surprise attack. There were guard post and trenches to guard the encampment. When von Steuben trained the troops he said, “You say [to a soldier in Europe] “Do this” and he doeth it; but I am obliged to say “This is the reason why you have to do this.” At the end the number of men grew to 20,000. The reason why this recognized is because it had the highest death total of all the winter encampments. 
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