Panel One - Revolutionary War

This panel is a scene from Valley Forge. The left edge begins with George Washington. That’s deliberate, as he is the father of our nation. He is looking forward in the direction of the future on purpose. He is also featured in the dark. The scene at Valley Forge was chosen to be at night because what was attempted there was never done before (hence Revolutionary) and was done under the cover of night. This was an experiment…and ground-breaking! There had never been a nation with this much freedom for the common man on earth before this. Also, the night scene allowed the showcase of the patriotic constellation of Orion whose brightest stars are blue-white Rigel and red Betelgeuse.

Valley Forge is featured in this panel because this is the location where the continental army became a force to be reckoned with. The soldiers that are featured by the fire are all focused on this book that plays an interesting role in the mural. 

• At the time Thomas Payne had just written a pamphlet called The American Crisis, and it’s recorded that it was inspirational to the troops at Valley Forge. So, that’s what the book could be.
• Frederick von Steuben wrote the first training manual for the Continental Army, and it’s still used today. That could be the book that the men are focusing on.
• The book could also be a Bible.

The pages in the book are deliberately left blank so that you, the viewer, can interpret your own meaning.

Notice the rifle that is featured. It is historically accurate and designed to show the transformation of warfare throughout the panels.

Special Artist Credit

Shae Lynn Rider painted all the faces, the horse, and the fire.

Insider Information

Robert chose to showcase the Orion constellation for personal reasons. For one, it is his favorite constellation. Additionally, Orion is one of the brightest and best-known constellations. Greek mythology describes Orion as a giant hunter with great courage and protection, which is very appealing to any youth. During his rebellious teenage years, if Robert wanted to sneak out of his house, he would look to see if Orion was visible in the night sky. If it was, he would take that as a sign that he should go. If not, he felt that it was a bad omen, like he wouldn’t be protected, and he would stay home. 

Relatable fact

What happened at Valley Forge was not only a piece of Pennsylvania history, but also world history. Individuals were dealing with a smallpox outbreak while at the training grounds. To “stop the spread” George Washington decided to encourage the spread. He deliberately inoculated his troops who didn’t have smallpox with a small exposure to ensure they had antibodies. This was medical science at its best at Valley Forge.  We can all relate after dealing with COVID-19 the last couple of years.