Events

From December 12–19, 1777, Gen. George Washington’s army encamped in the towering hills of Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania, fifteen miles from Philadelphia. Known as the threshold to Valley Forge, the Gulph Mills Encampment is often forgotten or minimized, falling as it did between the more famous military engagements of the Philadelphia Campaign and the well-known experience of the army at Valley Forge. Yet, the Gulph Mills Encampment was a significant microcosm of the Revolutionary War. It included encounters with the British and the local community; little food, clothing and shelter for the troops; the celebration of the new nation’s first Thanksgiving; and tough decisions by Washington, including his momentous decision to make Valley Forge the army’s winter quarters. Drawing from her new book, independent hisotorian Sheilah Vance reveals the fascinating details of the Continental Army’s last stand as it moved into winter quarters at Valley Forge.

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About the Speaker

Sheilah Vance, Esq., is an independent historian and author. She holds a B.A. in Communications from Howard University, where she majored in journalism, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She maintains a private law practice in Philadelphia, Pa.; is the president and CEO of The Elevator Group, an independent publishing company based in Paoli; and has worked as president and General Counsel of the Institute for Educational Equity and Opportunity in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit that focuses on public school finance research, education and training issues. Ms. Vance teaches education law at Villanova University Law School, where she previously was assistant dean for academic support and a legal writing professor. In 2006, she received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Barristers Association of Philadelphia, a National Bar Association Chapter, for outstanding contributions to the legal profession, legal education and community service. Additionally, she is the author several bestselling and award-winning books, including Becoming Valley Forge (The Elevator Group, 2016), a book that won the 2016 Regional Fiction Category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and the ebook, Six Days in December: General George Washington’s and the Continental Army’s Encampment on Rebel Hill, December 13 – 19, 1777, a prequel to Becoming Valley Forge.