> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.cascadepbs.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Episode 5: Introduction
- URL: https://www.cascadepbs.org/show/the-american-revolution/extras/episode-5-introduction-p9oidh/
- Published: 2025-11-07T16:45:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-12T20:13:58.000Z
- Description: The American Revolution has spilled into a global war, but the United States hangs on by a thread.
- Author: Cascade PBS Staff
- Tags: The American Revolution, #ZZZ_Show_f16516f8-e9bd-49d8-b49b-96781c68070a, #v1.7, #ZZZ_Extra_0c5b7ff2-a68d-4f6b-916d-9e734070b08f, #extra

France and Spain join the war against Britain, continuing the series of wars between the European Empires for the prize of North America. The weary Continental Army settles in Valley Forge for the winter, where they suffer from a lack of supplies, brutal winter storms and outbreaks of deadly diseases like typhus and influenza. The fight for independence hangs by a thread.