Pennsylvania

Valley Forge is a name that resonates in the minds of many Americans. As the site of the 1777-1778 encampment of the Continental army during the Revolutionary War, it has come to symbolize determination and triumph. While many people know something revolutionary happened in Valley Forge, they do not understand how or why it became a place of remembrance today. Using the rich historical collections of the National Center for the American Revolution and Valley Forge Historical Society, Valley Forge shares the early-twentieth-century history of the area through nearly two hundred images, the majority of which are published for the first time.

Valley Forge offers a variety of historical views and background into the site that became Pennsylvania's first state park. Highlights include Washington's Headquarters and the patriotic and inspiring Washington Memorial Chapel, as well as Revolutionary War artifacts that have found a home in Valley Forge. Thousands of books exist on the history of the American War for Independence, but few describe the events and people who have struggled to preserve that story of independence for people everywhere, as Valley Forge does.

Carlisle Barracks was established by the British Army in 1757 to support operations against the French during the French and Indian War. During the Revolutionary War, the post supported Washington's army against the British. After the post was burned by Confederate forces during the Civil War, it was rebuilt and served as the U.S. Army's Cavalry School until 1871, when the post was closed. In 1879, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School opened at the post to educate Native American children. This school operated until 1918, when the U.S. Army resumed control of the post and opened a hospital to care for wounded World War I soldiers. The U.S. Army Field Medical School opened there in 1920 and remained until that function was relocated in 1946. In 1951, the U.S. Army War College moved to Carlisle Barracks, where it remains. Using vintage photographs, Carlisle Barracks chronicles how for more than 250 years this post has supported military operations and training and continues to do so today.