What Kamala should know about Valley Forge

Okay guys, it’s time to be alarmed.

Kamala Harris’s recent advocacy for price controls is a major red flag for anyone who understands how the free market is supposed to operate.

It’s even worse for those of us who know that price controls are a major feature of a communist regime.

The Washington Post nailed it with this headline:

Um. Yeah.

Unfortunately, to many of the people who are suffering right now, her modest proposal sounds like a compassionate solution to rising costs of goods and services. They simply don’t know the history of price controls, and they are desperate for relief.

Of course we know that these kinds of interventions always backfire—and always with devastating consequences.

Here’s a great example that most people haven’t ever even heard of:

Valley Forge in the winter of 1777–1778.

The story of Valley Forge is often told as one of grit and endurance—of George Washington’s army surviving the brutal cold and lack of supplies. But what many people don’t know is that the suffering at Valley Forge wasn’t just due to harsh weather; it was largely the result of inflation and the price controls imposed by the Continental Congress.

In their effort to keep prices low, the Continental Congress set strict limits on what merchants could charge for goods. This move, of course, had an unintended consequence: it discouraged farmers and suppliers from selling their goods to the army.

Why? Well, because the prices they were being offered didn’t cover their costs, especially in an environment where inflation was already making everything more expensive.

As a result, supplies dwindled, and Washington’s men were left to suffer without adequate food, clothing, or shelter.

The same principle applies in what Kamala Harris is advocating today.

Price controls might seem to some as an easy fix to rising costs, but they create more problems than they solve. They distort the natural functioning of markets, leading to shortages, black markets, and ultimately, to more hardship for the very people they’re meant to help.

Just like at Valley Forge, where soldiers endured unimaginable suffering because of well-meaning but misguided policies, today’s attempts to control prices will lead to similar consequences.

When the government tries to force prices lower than what the market can bear, it discourages production and drives scarcity. In the end, it’s the people who suffer—just as Washington’s troops did over two centuries ago.

We’re passionate about teaching the next generation these crucial lessons from history. It’s why we’ve spent so much time developing resources that help kids understand the real-world consequences of economic policies.

History is full of examples like Valley Forge—where government policy clashed with economic reality, and the results were disastrous. We actually cover this story in our Tuttle Twins History Volume 2.

Our books and curriculum are designed to equip kids with the knowledge they need to recognize these patterns and understand the importance of free markets, personal responsibility, and sound economic principles.

As we watch these historical lessons play out in real-time, it’s more important than ever to ensure that our kids are equipped to understand and navigate these challenges. If we fail to learn from history, we’re doomed to repeat it—and the stakes are too high to let that happen.

Our kids need to know that sometimes, the best way to help is by getting out of the way and letting markets work. It’s a lesson Washington’s army learned the hard way, and it’s one we should take to heart today.

— Connor

P.S. If you haven’t checked out our history books and curriculum, now is a great time to give them a look. It’s amazing how much of what has already happened ties directly into the things we are watching unfold today.