A Revolutionary River

In 1776, the Continental (American) Army built a floating bridge at Middle Ferry, later Market Street, to provide an easy escape from the city if the British invaded. Shortly after American troops left Philadelphia for Wilmington in the summer of 1777, the bridge was taken down and hidden so the British could not use it. British troops occupying Philadelphia in the fall of 1777 built a new floating bridge there. In the fall of 1781, Generals Washington and Rochambeau led the Continental (American) and French Armies from Rhode Island south to Yorktown, Virginia, and thousands of troops camped there from September 3 to 6, 1781, during the march. French troops helped revive weary Americans and contributed to the victory over the British at Yorktown that signaled the end of the Revolutionary War.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States