The Road Turns Upward, Hope Abroad and Bankruptcy at Home and Enter a French Army Summary and Analysis

Conditions improve for the soldiers at Valley Forge in February 1778 when food supplies improve and shelter in huts becomes more serviceable than living in tents. Eventually the men adapt to their stringent surroundings and are able to bond through the shared hardships. The army's focus transitions from survival to improvement with the arrival of Lieutenant General Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Baron von Steuben, who trains the men in military drills.

In May, Washington learns that France formally recognizes American independence from England, prompting Washington to believe that war between England and France is imminent. Washington believes that if this is true, England's defeat will also end the American Revolution and Washington may...