Years later, the stakes were far greater.

George Washington was now the commander of a new American army — the Continental Army, made up of soldiers from all thirteen colonies. Farmers, shopkeepers, and young men who had never been soldiers before now stood together, fighting for America's independence against the mighty British Empire.

The soldiers fighting beside him believed in freedom — but belief alone could not stop the freezing winter. At Valley Forge, snow covered the ground for miles. Food was scarce. Many soldiers had no shoes. Hope grew thin.