The book 1776 by David McCullough tells the story of the military aspects of the American Revolution. McCullough writes the book from both the British and American point of views, creating a better understanding of what both sides were undergoing during the war.
Not only does he have a degree from Yale, but McCullough has also been awarded with the nations highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition to this, he has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice. He has also written multiple other non-fiction historical books and biographies such as Truman, The Great Bridge and John Adams. Further, McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country including the White House and Congress.
The story begins with
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A major battle in the book 1776, and an important turning point of the year, was the Battle of Trenton. After crossing the Delaware River, the Continental Army opened fire on the surprised Hessian troops that were stationed there. After a 45-minute battle, the Hessians surrendered, giving the Americans a much needed victory. McCullough shows the importance of this battle by describing multiple American victories that followed, such as the Battles of Princeton and Fort Lee.
Through vivid descriptions of George Washington, I learned that he was not the best military leader. There were multiple times in the war where Washington was faced with difficult decisions, and proved to be very indecisive. Also, there were times where action needed to be taken, but he couldn’t decide what to do. Even though I learned Washington wasn’t as great as the history books explain him to be, it makes me respect him more to know that he, just like any other American, flawed.
One thing in the story that shocked me is how different our perception of the Revolutionary War is from the reality. An example of this was how ill trained the American army was at the beginning of the war. The army was undisciplined, disobedient, and motivated only by their paychecks. Many perceive the soldiers as valiant, zealous men, but it wasn’t until much later in the war that the soldiers rose to the occasion and became the warriors that we remember today.
Another thing that impressed me was
In Richard Wheeler’s book, Voices of 1776, Wheeler, an American author and former newspaper editor, uses the journal and diary entries of military personnel and civilians alike to describe the chaos of the Revolutionary War. Each entry details the daily onslaught of the war that founded America. By using these first hand accounts in chronological order, Wheeler has painted the patriotic image to create a well organized and firmly structured work of literature. This book is an excellent resource for students, educators, and reenactors, for Wheeler portrayed this war for independence with both sides input, and a neutral respect for both sides.
In the book 1776, the author, David McCullough remains unbiased in describing a monumental and historical year. This work of nonfiction starts with background information in October 1775, starring King George Ⅲ and his views on the war with the rebels. McCullough takes the reader on a journey back in time to 1776, where a story unfolds about important battles, where there were losses and wins. Clearly demonstrated in this book are both sides of this war. From the rebels experiencing hardships and a plethora of diseases, to the rise of this newfound army, and the British’s declining army, this book captivates you, leaving you craving to learn more. We would have never experienced this journey if it wasn’t for the exceptional leaders such as Nathaniel Greene and George Washington leading the Americans in their fight for independence from Great Britain.
Trenton- The Battle of Trenton is the one where Washington had to cross the Delaware River (as can be seen in the famous picture), and eventually defeated the British military. This was considered a turning point, because their hopes had lifted and they finally believed that they had a chance at winning at war.
General George Washington is unique in many ways, such as he fights on land not on the sea. He also took very good care of his men because it says that he helped by getting inoculations to protect the soldiers from a disease called smallpox from spreading. In a way, through washington was a little strict hard to deal with. Because he sent his men on a 13_Mile walk in the harsh cold weather to Valley Forge Which imagine how hard it is. He also had his men starve and work all day, even though this maid them a little tougher in many ways it also help a lot by working together and just working on teamwork skills. In my opinion, this really toughened up his guys one way he did that is, he
The Battle of Saratoga is considered by many to be the turning point in the American Revolution. Both “With Musket and Tomahawk: the Saratoga Campaign and the Wilderness War of 1777” by Michael O. Logusz and “Saratoga: Turning Point Of America’s Revolutionary War” by Richard M. Ketchum, portrayed their own views on the events that occurred leading up to and following the Battle of Saratoga. While both of these books explained the Battle of Saratoga, each provided its own view and also included different details regarding the events that occurred around the timing of the Battle of Saratoga.
No one truly knows what exactly happened during the Revolutionary War, however, the book Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson describes the brutality of the war through a teenage boy’s eyes. Curzon was forged by the hardships of war and slavery, and endured the long winter in Valley Forge, where he forged friendships through hard times in the “mixing pot” of the Valley Forge camp. There are many interpretations for the word forge, and in the book Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson, Curzon explores the meanings of the word forge through the perils of war, the hardships of slavery, and enduring a harsh winter at Valley Forge. In the beginning of the book Forge, Curzon found himself in the middle of a gruesome battle.
The American Revolutionary War occurred from 1775-1783 and has had many historians cover the time period throughout the generations. The first major historians to cover the war were David Ramsey from South Carolina and Mercy Otis Warren from Massachusetts. Ramsey’s book, The History of the American Revolution (1789), was a contemporary view into the war and claimed the “husbandmen, merchants, mechanics, and fishermen” had the most impact on the Continental Army’s victory over the British. Mercy Otis Warren was the first female historian of the time and wrote her book, History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution (1805), giving her personal account of the war. Both historians lived through the war, so gave their
The Battle of Saratoga is considered to be the major turning point of the American Revolution. As The British were attempting to separate the New England colonies from the southern colonies, this battle proved to the world that the American army was capable of fighting and defeating the British forces. The American victory, and the capture of a majority of British General Burgoyne's army, convinced the French that America was a legitimate ally in the war. The Battle of Saratoga was very important because it gave America international recognition and new war tactics, such as asymmetric warfare. As a result of this successful battle, Saratoga turned the tide of the Revolution in America's favor.
The Battle of Trenton was a critical battle that occurred on 26 December 1776, during the early years of the American Revolutionary War. The battle took place in the town of Trenton, New Jersey between the Continental Army, led by Commander-in-Chief, General (GEN) George Washington, and the British contracted Hessian Army, led by Colonel (COL) Johann Rahl. The Battle of Trenton served as the first major American victory in the Revolutionary war. Prior to the Battle of Trenton, American forces had endured nearly constant defeat as the British pushed them from New York and into Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress had pleaded for a battle victory to save the cause, and had all but lost hopes of achieving victory against the British. The Battle of Trenton was more than just a needed victory, but instead served as a second chance for the Continental Army to turn the tide of war.
When we think of years in American history that stand out most, 1776 is the first that comes to mind. It was a very eventful yet remarkable year for American colonists. Colonists who went from being faithful subjects of the British rule under King George III, to fighting that same nation for their freedom. American colonists faced a number of very difficult problems at this time. They were undermanned and under armed, fighting one of the largest organized military powers in the world. How can they possibly win and what was the motivation to go into battle where death was almost certain? David McCullough does a great job reciting these difficulties from siege of Boston to the crossing of the Delaware.
The year of 1776 is the most famous year, not only in the Revolutionary War, but in America’s history as well. In this best selling book, 1776, David McCullough decides to not focus so much on the continental congresses, but instead George Washington and his men’s experiences. This is about how the United States of America almost did not even exist and the War of Independence was nearly lost. McCullough is a very well known author and historian who has sold many best selling books such as the books of United States presidents John Adams and Truman. Instead of writing about an important era, he focuses on only writing about that year. During this time, he explains how the colonies of North America decide to break away from England and the “absolute tyranny” of King George III. McCullough is unique by introducing people with major impact on the conflict of the revolution such as King George III and George Washington as well as a large selection of lesser known people that one would normally just grace over which included certain citizens who either worked in the colonies or was apart of the revolution. Interestingly, this book centers around more of General George Washington in the war and as a leader instead of really focusing on the colonies goal of freedom and independence. This is impressive that George Washington was able to group many untrained men and get them ready for battle. This book does
Introduction To understand the American Revolutionary War one must learn about how it feels to be in a war. You Are There The year is 1777. Everyone is getting ready for battle.
George Washington has been showing great leadership in the last battles against the British. There have been a couple of battle stories I want to tell you about that really catch my eye. I am going to start when George Washington crossed the Delaware River, which was a very fine example
When it comes to the topic of the American Revolution most have been educated about the significant battles of the war, and the overall outcome. However, submerged beneath the details of war are the individual stories of those living in the colonies. In Rae Raphael’s book, A People’s History of the American Revolution, the personal stories and experiences of the “common folk” are brought back to the surface for the first time. Recounting these personal stories utilizing primary literature provides a necessary accuracy in portraying this time period. The experiences of farmers, laborers, women, Native Americans, and slaves, among others are used to highlight the effects of the revolution caused by the historically overlooked people inhabiting the colonies.
Throughout history, Americans have sought to spread the spirit of equality, which is believed to be the realization of true freedom. Before establishing this freedom, every American had only one question stuck in their head: What is freedom? Our country received it in the year of 1776 from the British through a series of difficulties and wars. African Americans defined it as an escape from slavery, while immigrants defined it as their acceptance into a new society. More yet, women of the women’s suffrage defined their freedom as their recognition into society and for their rights to be equal to that of every other man. These different perceptions of cultures/groups in America tied together to form an American view of freedom. Freedom is