Valley Forge: Would You Have Quit?

At this point, I would've given up. The downsides of fighting are far greater than the upsides of continuing. Let’s look at the camp we’ve been given. It wasn’t kept in a good condition. Do they really think this is showing us of how grateful they are that we’re fighting for our freedom? Not to mention the lack of supplies they provided us with. All these things are certainly enough to make any man quit. I would quit since they don't give us enough supplies to keep on fighting, I don't want to die and we’re fighting a war where rich men will benefit the most out of.

First and foremost, we don’t get sufficient supplies to keep fighting. Living off clothes with holes, awful cooking, day after day, is just unbearable. To further explain, in document C it states, “‘I am sick discontented and out of humor. Poor food - hard lodging - cold weather - fatigue - nasty clothes - nasty cookery - vomit half my tome smoak’d out my senses… There comes a soldier, his bare feet are seen thro’ his worn out shoes, his legs are nearly naked from the tatter’d remains of an only pair of stockings…’” This proves that not only are we not taken care off properly, they treat us as if they are not appreciative of our service.

Another reason I would’ve quit is I don't want to die like this. It isn't worth it. Knowing that no one is going to come to our aid, it is only common sense to give up now. It is suicide to keep fighting while knowing this information. To prove my point, in document A it mentions, “ -Illnesses: 4,000 -Deaths at Valley Forge: 1,800 to 2,500” These statistics show how many soldiers fell ill or even died due to the fact that they chose to fight.

Last, but not least, we’re fighting in a rich man’s war. If you think about it, who will benefit the most if we gained freedom? The answer to that question is rich white men. Women and African-Americans aren't even mentioned in the Constitution. So are we really fighting for everyone’s freedom? Or mainly just for rich white men? I don't want to fight for something only a small percentage of people will benefit out of, also knowing there’s a huge chance of me dying for it.

In conclusion, it is not worth to continue fighting. All of these reasons explain the fact that it is ill behavior to keep fighting, knowing that you will lose and die in the midst of war. Even if we surprisingly win, we won’t really be the ones who will benefit the most out of it. So what’s the point of even trying if you know no one is coming out to help you? It would be sensible to quit before you lose your life in a war where the outcome is already predicted.