Photograph of Soldiers Re-enacting Cato

American
1927

Toward the end of the Valley Forge Encampment, General Washington brought in a production of Joseph Addison's 1713 play Cato to entertain and inspire his troops. Congress had banned theatrical entertainment from the camp, but Cato was Washington's favorite play. He often quoted it in his letters, and the play's emphasis on liberty, virtue, and resistance to tyranny inspired the American Revolution. .

Paper. L 20.7, W 15.5 cm
Valley Forge National Historical Park, VAFO 62885