Anna Wilson Ms. Keri Hamrick HIS 201 June 6, 2015 Review of 1776 1776 by David McCullough is published by Simon and Schuster. In 1776 David McCullough perfectly illustrates how the American army was always on the edge of defeat during the year of 1776. The story was limited to only one year with little background information; this causes confusion. Those who do not have a good understanding of the American Revolution will have an especially difficult time deciphering what the book is describing. McCullough makes up for the confusion by adding vivid details from diaries, journals, reference works, and a numerous amount of books. McCullough is in no rush to get to the point of the story. He begins by describing King George III as he rides …show more content…
Spirits were high until the British kept arriving in large numbers. Washington had to split up his army numerous times to keep the New York defended. Spirits began to fall and disease set in once again. Washington had to plan to retreat, which is no easy task with an army of any size. However, the retreat was perfectly executed with a thick fog settling in as dawn came to conceal the soldiers. Throughout the rest of the book, the hopes of the army rose and fell quicker than a rollercoaster. The fate of the army always laid at the edge of destruction. David McCullough wrote many more works such as John Adams, Truman, Brave Companions, The Path Between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, and more. Both Truman and John Adams won the Pulitzer Prize. McCullough has received the National Book Award twice for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. He has been awarded with the National Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award as well as the National Humanities Medal. McCullough devoted twenty-two pages at the end of his book to cite all the sources used. He had gathered manuscript collections, books, reference works, diaries, journals, memoirs, articles, newspapers, and journals. He used all of these materials in his book to make 1776 as indifferent and objective as
Not only does the book highlight the positive reflection on the events of the American Revolution, but gives an overall unbiased insight of the happenings on through Martin eyes. Martin has been successful in portraying the truthful picture of the American Revolutionary War that includes the flawless character and moral perfection coupled with the problems and burdens that befell the army, and how they took it In the initial events of the book, Martin enters the war as a young boy who is anxious to protect his country and experiences noteworthy adventures along the way of his dream. He fights against the
David O. Stewart’s The Summer of 1787: the Men Who Wrote the Constitution provides an un-biased historical account on how the constitution came to be. The book begins in post-revolutionary war America under the failed Articles of Confederation to the constitutional convention and through the ratification process of the constitution. It provides the readers with an in depth look at the hard ball the founding fathers played to create a government that could deal with a violent rebellion, mass debt, and the states conflicting goals. The goal of The Summer of 1787 the Men Who Wrote the Constitution is to enlighten readers on how the constitution came to be by illustrating how the founding fathers personalities affected the process by providing a deeper look into these key figures personal life’s and how their experiences shaped their political views.
Nathaniel Philbrick, author of Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution, successfully enables his readers to grasp the significance behind Boston and its neighboring cities during the rise of the Revolutionary War. Most Americans have a vague understanding of why events like the Battle of Bunker Hill are relevant and how this particular campaign played a pinnacle role in leading up to the Revolutionary War, but Philbrick does a service to Americans by beautifully illustrating these events from cover to cover. Not only is each occasion intimately detailed, but Philbrick records these instances in a precise and memorable rhythm. Although at times his novel might appear exhausting with vivid imagery, Philbrick’s thesis remains clear: In the
In a companion volume to his best-selling biography John Adams (2001), David McCullough closely examines a year of near-mythic status in the American collective memory: 1776. It was the year that the Continental Congress, meeting in steamy Philadelphia, decided, “these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states.” It was also the year that the American Revolution began in earnest and was nearly lost. With his strong sense of narrative and his gift for capturing the humanity of his subjects, McCullough leads readers through a well-known story with both style and grace.
In the book The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89, Edmund S. Morgan uses narrative analysis to describe an account of the beginnings of the American government. He explains in depth how the problems of British taxation made the Americans want to search for alternative, established standards to secure their own freedom, and how it led to Revolution. It is obvious, as it is shown in the bibliography, that Morgan used much research to secure his claims. He enjoys saying, “When you construct a building, you put up scaffolding. But when the building is finished, you take the scaffolding down.”
Joseph Luzzi Professor Dunn BUS 140 5 October 2015 Critical Analysis: 1776 Throughout the novel, 1776 by David McCullough, there are several events that occurred within history during this time frame. Starting off with the American Revolution, King George III being the leader, began the story by addressing the British Parliament in October of 1775. The author, McCullough, travels through history and recognizes the courageous, unbeatable, and historical legend George Washington, who lead the great and well know American military. George Washington, one of the founding fathers, truly valued responsibility and understood what it meant to be a true leader.
The book gives the reader a vivid picture of the American Revolution and get a feel as to what it was like during the 1700s. While reading the book I could see a clear picture of what was happening as if I was actually there. I feel author Christopher is giving the readers a unique twist on the history of the American Revolution. In the book author Christopher doesn’t favor the Americans when telling the story of the war. Instead, he writes the book using the perspective of the British.
The weather the night of August 29 was favorable to the Americans, a dense fog rolled over the East River and Brooklyn. Under this cover, General Washington ordered his soldiers to keep their fires burning, while evacuating the island by boats across the East River. This mass evacuation lasted throughout the night. When the British realized the deception come morning, they made it to the river just as the last boat carrying General Washington himself set off. Nearly 9,000 American soldiers successfully evacuated from Long Island to the safety of
In this source, the impact of America’s founders, such as Patrick Henry, and the impact they have on modern America are discussed. The American Founders remain the most important authority for deciding if principles of the American government are legitimate even though time periods have changed. Their ideals in liberty are taken into account when laws are passed today. This resource is very useful in describing the impact of the speech.
Lawyer and politician, Patrick Henry in his speech, “Give me Liberty Or Give Me Death” (March 23, 1775), explains that he give this plea to urge the old dominion to form militias to defend itself against British. He supports his claim by first using a religious reference to express the themes of freedom, equality, and independence. Then uses a selection of other strategies like rhetorical question and allusion to disprove the opposing arguments and clarify the point he is making. Patrick Henry purpose is to fight back and he wants other to fight with him in order for independence. He creates a powerful and commanding tone for the second Virginia convention.
In 1775 the American Colonies stood at a tipping point. Britain and the Colonies had been embroiled in a continuing struggle over numerous injustices, and the Colonies seemed at long last situated to engage in a revolution against Britain. However, the colonial representatives were still tied up in negotiations with Britain, and many delegates of the Virginia Convention wanted to delay actions until the negotiations had concluded. Patrick Henry disagreed with the delay, so he addressed the Convention, arguing for the need to mobilize troops against the British, a request tantamount to treason. Instead of shying away from the polarizing nature of his argument, Henry adopted a respectful, but urgent, tone, crafting an argument that would inspire his audience into action.
On January 10, 1776, the piece was anonymously published and it was an instant sensation. Many colonists were wondering what they should do regarding Great Britain, and Common Sense encouraged many to think deeper into the idea of America’s independence. Today, Common Sense remains
Gordon S. Wood, “the preeminent historian of the Revolution”, is a well known American historian who has received several awards such as the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prize for his historical books. In his book, The American Revolution: A History, he breaks down the key events based on his experiences and knowledge on the Revolutionary period. Wood was born in Concord, Massachusetts on November 27,1933. Wood teaches at many liberal renowned universities such as Brown, Cambridge, Northwestern , and Harvard. Now being eighty one years old, he recently retired from Brown University and lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
The authors are brothers James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. The novel’s time period is based in the Revolutionary War era with exceptionally great accuracy. The authors teach a lot of principles including a strong sense of irony, sacrifice,
In the years leading up to the American Revolution, there was a tense relationship between the colonists and their British rulers. Large gatherings in the colonies to discuss the grievances caused by the actions of the British were common. Patrick Henry applies the rhetorical strategies of allusions and repetition in his “Speech in the Virginia Convention” to assert that the colonists should believe fighting for their freedom and rights is necessary and that they must fight as soon as possible. Although Henry has rather radical beliefs in comparison to the other members of the Convention, he connects with them through religious and literary allusions that are able to convince them of his assertions. In his speech, Henry alludes to