VALLEY FORGE, Pennsylvania (AP) -- George Washington. The Marquis de Lafayette. Hannah Till.
All three figures contributed to the American colonies' victory over Britain during the Revolutionary War. But the story of Till, a slave who cooked for Gen. George Washington and his troops during the grueling winter at Valley Forge, has largely gone untold -- until now.
Every Saturday through August 19, re-enactors will bring the stories of Till and other black colonials to life with first-person performances at the Valley Forge National Historical Park, as part of the park's African American Freedom and Fun weekends.
The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau is offering packages at five area hotels that include free admission to Washington's Headquarters museum, an outline for a self-guided tour of abolitionist and underground railroad sites, and a discount card for more than 90 shops and restaurants.
The real highlight of the weekends, however, is the opportunity to talk with black historical figures who seem to have traveled through time to tell visitors about life in the colonies.
"People get to ask the questions they've always wanted to ask but couldn't because you can't walk up to a slave anymore and say, 'How does it feel,"' said Ajena Rogers, the park ranger who plays Till.
She said she hears everything from questions as basic as George Washington's favorite snack -- walnuts -- to more in-depth queries about what happened to Till after the war.
Till, who spent seven years working with the Continental Army, eventually earned her freedom, moving to Philadelphia. She lived to be 102.
Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of Washington's troops. Severe cold and inadequate resources led to the death of nearly one-fifth of the men.
Historians estimate there were as many as 5,000 soldiers of African descent in George Washington's army, making it the most integrated American military until President Harry Truman desegregated the troops anew for the Korean War, nearly 200 years later.
Edward "Ned" Hector, a teamster and artilleryman now portrayed at Valley Forge, was one of the 5,000.
His regiment was given the order to abandon belongings and retreat during a surprise attack at the nearby Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. Hector instead turned back into the fray to save arms, his wagon and a team of horses.
Educator Noah Lewis said he came upon the story of this free black man with a street in Conshohocken named after him when researching his own genealogy several years ago. Though he is not related to Hector, Lewis said the story "broke all my stereotypes about blacks of that time."
"Like a lot of people, I had it in my mind that all blacks then were poor or slaves," he said. "Hopefully stories like this will give black people a greater sense of, 'My people helped this country to be free."'
Lewis first played Hector for his daughter's elementary school class, before taking the act to other schools and finally to Valley Forge.
"It is important for people of all races to see that African American history is American history," Lewis said. "There is so much information we need to get out there, so we can all take pride in this aspect of being an American."
Rogers said she hopes the packages will attract more black tourists to the park, along with anyone interested in getting a lesser-known perspective on American history.
And the primary lesson she takes from Till's story?
Perseverance.
"It's very ironic that someone who was enslaved was so deeply involved in the colonial struggle for freedom," she said. "But through the American Revolution she found an opportunity to earn her freedom. That's what I get from everything that happened at Valley Forge -- don't give up."