Sophia's War Life Changing Events

1776, a book written by David McCullough discusses the political, social and overall major events that were caused by the American Revolution. Up until chapter 3, McCullough discusses both Washingtons and Howe’s strategies and and how both the colonists and the English were impacted by the battles.

Everyone knows George Washington as the first president, but most people do not know his other roles in the creation of the United States of America. In Joseph J. Ellis’s book, His Excellency George Washington, Ellis tells about Washington’s life. He includes his time as a general in the Revolutionary War, his life in retirement after the war, and also his time as the president. Ellis’s main focus in the book is to paint a picture for the reader so it almost feels like they are right next to Washington as his life is explained. The information in his book allows for readers to have a better understanding of what Washington went through in his life and also ,at times, gives educated guesses on what Washington might have been thinking. Through this book, it is easy to see why George Washington is referred to as one of the greatest Americans to ever live.

Opening to the first page, George Washington is quoted, “perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.” setting the stage for David McCullough’s book, “1776”, a historical narrative that avoided academic debates. His thesis being a tight narrative focused around the Continental Army and their leader George Washington. McCullough continued his popular writing techniques of character building by tracing the roads, reading the books, and seeing the houses of his key characters as they would have in their lifetimes. These techniques can be seen in his many list of books such as: “Path between the Seas”, “Truman”, and “John Adams”. His books have been written in ten languages and are all still in print today. I feel that

The introduction of George Washington and the explanation of how much of an unorganized, unruly bunch of soldiers he was stuck with in the Continental Army was definitely one of the most interesting parts of the book. I realized in reading this, how little I actually knew about Washington. The author describes him in such a way that gives you the understanding of why people were drawn to follow him. Nathaniel Green and Henry Knox were just as important as Washington throughout the war, Knox especially in the in the success of removing the British from Boston. His heroic effort of bring cannons and munitions form Fort Ticonderoga to Boston was a tremendous achievement. It’s hard to imagine the difficulty in successfully being able to achieve something like that. Both Knox and Greene were almost entirely self educated. Knox owned a book store and was married to a woman named Lucy Flucker whose father was royal secretary of the province and even arranged for Knox to be commissioned in the British army, but he declined, which to me, showed how incredibly loyal he was to his country .

King George II died on as a result from a ruptured artery. He lived a pretty long life, he was 77 years of age and that was very old back then, but he was also blind in one eye which wasn’t mentioned in the book. His son George III took over and was only 23. George was very smart and the people loved him. He helped guide the military to defeat the French and Spaniards. After the war Britain had a hard time recovering financially. Prime Minister George Grenville tried to pass the Stamp Act and it failed miserably. I was not surprised that King George dismissed Grenville after attempts like this. The Stamp Act caused riots and disobedience throughout America.

The book essentially goes over Lincoln’s killer and his plans and what his thoughts were before, during and after the shooting of President Lincoln. It is a book that mainly focuses on John Wilkes Booth , the killer, and his plans and how it panned out. John Wilkes Booth was an actor and lived a wealthy life, he was someone who was considered very handsome by many and someone with fine clothes. His tactics per se were not well planned out. John Wilkes Booth had tried to kidnap President Lincoln before, but he failed to do so he planned on bringing Lincoln to the South and demanding peace, Boothe had recently heard about the appearance the Lincolns would be given at the Ford 's theatre, he knew the Lincoln’s would have a box inside the theatre where he would sit . Although he committed the act of assassinating President Lincoln he did not plan on how he was going to get through to him,the obstacles he would have to overcome, he just knew he would do whatever he needed to do to get the task done. Booth was someone who did not like Lincoln’s plans for America, especially the south. He yelled “ The South is avenged” after killing the president of the United States. Not only were his thoughts on ending the President but also the Vice President and the Secretary of State because of what they stood for.

The main character of this book is Frederick Douglass because the book is about his life. Some supporting characters are Edward Covey who is a slave master and other masters are Auld family. Also there is his grandma and Betty Bailey. Frederick Douglass changes in the book i think is how he look at slavery because at the beginning he did not know much about slavery but throughout the book he found out how harsh slavery

The following chapters portray the sections of Washington life when he was a soldier, his days as a general, and his duty as the president. The book details the military plights Washington faced as a leader. Ellis says that Washington “lost more battles than he won; indeed, he lost more battles than any victorious general in modern history.” The War for Independence emerged as the most significant milestone in George Washington's life, a time in which he evolved into a grown man, a notorious politician, and a national icon. Ellis does not take us through each battle in detail, but describes the events that shaped Washington’s life and made him a human

1776 written by David McCullough was a very accurate portrayal of the the revolutionary war. The author chose to write the events with mostly a non biased perspective and was able to use multiple sources from the time. This allowed the author to write the book in an interesting way and inform the reader of this vital time in the nation 's history. The book focuses on the life and struggles of George Washington as he progresses through life and the war. It was helpful that the author showed his perspective and thoughts as he grew to become the leader many people think him as today. It is stated that George washington was not a very strong leader when he took control on July third, but it was his perseverance and unrelenting determination that ultimately won the war. Also, The author chose to give insight into the other important leaders who influenced how the war progressed through the year. This was not only accomplished by direct quotes but the author also explained why some decisions were made on both sides made the events less complicated. The fact that the author chose to focus of Washington and the troops lives also made it more personal and it helped that the narrative did not jump around to give an overview of the war from all perspectives.

Many of the occurrences in The Great Gatsby produced far-reaching effects for several of the characters.  Of these occurrences, one of the most influential and important incidents was the death of Myrtle Wilson.  While her life and death greatly affected the lives of all of the main and supporting characters, her death had a very significant effect on the lives of Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby.

The last act of violence, when Gatsby is murdered, leaves an important impression on the reader and the novel. George Wilson is devastated by his wife’s death and thinks that God wants him to kill the person who is responsible for it. Naturally, he went to the Buchanan’s to get some answers because it was their car. Tom was in a fragile state because he truly loved Myrtle, and directed George to Gatsby. Gatsby did not kill anybody but he paid the price for it. He was laying in his extravagant pool and saw “that ashen, fantastic figure gliding toward him through the amorphous trees (Fitzgerald, 172).” First George shot Gatsby, then he shot himself and ended two innocent lives. It was because Gatsby constantly chased one single dream his whole life that the scene of violence had to happen. Daisy was not good for him, and dreams keep getting pushed farther and farther

In his biography of America's founding father and first president, George Washington: The Patriot President, author William M. Thayer describes the heroic acts of leadership that Washington displayed while fighting in the American Revolution and during his two terms as President. Using a personal style that appeals to young readers, Thayer provides many glimpses into the private life of George Washington that give a better impression of the man behind one of history's most legendary figures. By tracing the path of Washington's incredible life, from his childhood farm on Mount Vernon to his participation in the French and Indian War of 1754, the author successfully recreates the key events in Washington's development. The book is filled with tales of Washington's bravery on the battlefield, his natural ability to lead men during both war and peace, and his fierce sense of patriotism in the face of British aggression. After reading George Washington: The Patriot President the lesson that greatness is earned through hard work and determination is made clear.

The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells us a variety of themes-justice, power and greed, The American dream and so on. The Great Gatsby is regarded as a brilliant piece of social commentary. The Great Gatsby concerns the wasteful lives of four wealthy characters as observed by their acquaintance, narrator Nick Carraway. Like Fitzgerald himself, Nick is from Minnesota, attended an Ivy League university, served in the U.S. Army during World War I, moved to New York after the war. The narrator, Nick, is a very clever and well spoken storyteller. Nick confides with the reader in the first pages of the novel. He says that he needs to tell the story of a man called Gatsby. It is as if Nick has to overcome disappointment and frustration with a man who has left him with painful memories. This thesis is valid for three main reasons. First, it is evident that dreams and memories are central to the overall plot and meaning. Secondly, the American Dream is a “green light” of desire that Gatsby never stops yearning for and something he will not forget over time, even as he is dying. This is so, even though no one cares about Gatsby or his dreams after he died, except maybe Nick. Finally, the fact that Fitzgerald uses flashback; that Nick is telling us about a main character after he has already died and before the story begins, is ultimate proof.The Great Gatsby is structured by Nick’s memory. Fitzgerald’s clever use of flashback throughout and within the

McCullough further uses The Siege to mention significant military figures that took part during The American Revolution. These major characters include: George Washington, Nathanael Greene,

George and Myrtle Wilson are two characters in The Great Gatsby representing the working class of society aiming for the American Dream. George Wilson owns a run-down auto shop in the Valley of Ashes and is doing his best to get business, while Myrtle Wilson chases after wealth and status through an affair with Tom. However, both characters face a tragic ending in their attempts to achieve the idealistic life: Daisy strikes and kills Myrtle with Gatsby’s car and George commits suicide after murdering Gatsby. George and Myrtle’s deadly fates help illustrate the novel’s pessimistic attitude toward the American Dream, symbolizing that it is impossible to achieve. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the Wilsons as a tragic way to demonstrate the unnatainable American Dream.