The 5th PA Militia & the 1777 Philadelphia campaign In-Person
British General William Howe led his force into Pennsylvania on 9 September 1777, defeated General George Washington’s Continental Army at Brandywine and Paoli on 11 and 20 September, and occupied Philadelphia on 26 September. The British thwarted Washington’s attempted to retake Philadelphia at the Battle of Germantown on 4 October. The defeated Continentals moved to Whitemarsh on 2 November to monitor enemy movements and plan their next maneuver. Washington used his time at Whitmarsh to decide whether to retake Philadelphia from the British or go into winter quarters at Valley Forge. This choice would shape the outcome of war. The Fifth Pennsylvania/Philadelphia Militia played a critical role in these events around Philadelphia in 1777.
Presented by Jeff LaMonica, Professor of History at Delaware County Community College
