Essay about Analysis of 1776, by David McCullough

     The book, John Adams, by David McCullough, is a powerfully written biography of one of our nation’s greatest heroes. This biography explores Adams’ life in great depth, unveiling a side to his life unbeknownst to those who have never studied his life in great detail. Through diary entries, letters, and various other documents, the reader grasps a sense of what Adams’ day to day life was like, and is also able to grasp the enormity of his lifetime accomplishments.

He had to quickly give up on the whole illusion that we still have a chance at treasures of their day which plays later plays a major role in the US today that we no longer fight for freedom but we fight to hold peace and to protect our self but back then during the revolution people we fighting for a chance at making a new country and that our liberty will always defeat enemy that fight for just money or glory. Joseph shows that George Washington had come to realize that he had to quickly give up the idea that he will always have army and that he will have soldier that from other countries and different state like Massachusetts or Maryland . He tells us how that many of those people would end up soldiers who would joined them to help them through the war and would be a military that would be discipline but at the same time as violation which they understood that they would have to be in order to win each of their individual liberty. He tells us how Washington was in the British military and was train by them but he also did training by himself which would have a side effect of his training. It would cause Washington to avoid major battles but it will ultimately turn out that this will resort in his successful. My understanding of the from reading these page that Washington didn’t fight for independence but fought for independence but what happens we know that he did not fight his battle alone from basic knowledge we know that Washington

In the story "John Adams and the Coming of the Revolution”, author David McCullough discusses how John Adams was asked to defend the British soldiers in court of the soldier’s accusation of man slaughter, following the Boston Massacre. Being such a problematic case that could ruin his reputation, John Adams accepted to defend the soldiers because of his experience in difficult cases, and his strong principles and beliefs. John Adam’s reputation did not even tarnish because of how skillfully he handled the case gaining the respect of the people of Boston.

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

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.

The American Revolution, when 13 American colonies waged war against the most powerful country in the world, Great Britain, for their independence. Soldiers who fought in the war and risked their lives to gain the freedom we have today, is just one of the many prime examples of prevailing hardships in battle. George Washington proved to be exemplary just like many others heroic patriots, like Henry Knox and Nathaniel Greene, when triumphing over the British soldiers with what little strength they had and defeating them. Their victory was more than enough proof on why they deserved independence. David McCullough’s 1776, describes and educates us about events which happened before the war and foreshadows up to the revolution. We learn about the hardships thrown at George Washington and the Continental army whose intentions switched from equal rights to complete emancipation. Battles throughout the Revolutionary War, like the Battle of Bunker Hill, are well known, but McCullough shows the reader how the Continental army continues to strive on even when victory is not in their favor.

Though it is a historical book, 1776 has many different themes waiting to be analyzed and dissected. One theme would be the theme of leadership being a major key to success. Throughout the book, McCullough seems to emphasize the fact that even though the American army was minimal, vastly outnumbered by the British, strong leadership was what truly mattered. Not only did this mean the Commander-in-Chief George Washington, but also other commanding officers such as Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox. If the American rebels did not have such strong leadership, both on the field and when inspiration was needed, victory would have been very much postponed or not existent at all. McCullough writes “ good officers were mandatory” and “officers must be better paid, better trained (pg 226).” While the army itself is very important, the commanding officers serve as a driving force that directs the firepower in a certain direction and, in turn, towards victory. Another example would be when soldiers witness their commander, George Washington, rushing onto the field despite the dangers that lay ahead and how important his life was to the cause. One soldier wrote that he would “never forget what [he] felt… When [he] saw him brave all the dangers

1. Why did Americans choose not only to break from Britain, but adopt a republican form of government in 1776? What Republican ideas did they share, and what did they disagree about? The Americans chose to break from Britain for a lot of different reasons. But the main reason was they wanted freedom from parliament; they did not want to be governed from overseas, they got sick and tired of the taxation and laws. They adopted the republican government because they did want to be a monarchy or dictatorship; America wanted the “people to rule” the country. They saw how a monarchy worked and did not want to be trapped in the same position Britain’s king was in. America and Britain had similarities and differences in

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 .

The Battle of New York would soon prove to be a disaster. It was Washington's first command on a large scale battle. He and his general officers had not only failed, but they looked like fools from the British point of view. After the battle, troops began to run away in fear. Even Washington's closest friend, Joseph Reed, began plotting behind his back. Washington suffered another bitter defeat at Fort Washington, N.Y. The colonists were intimidated, and surrendered Fort Washington. It was a severe blow to the colonists, 2000 were taken prisoner, 59 killed, 146 cannons lost to the British and Hessians in a matter of hours. It was a humiliating blow. During one particularly disastrous skirmish with the British, Washington saw his own troops fleeing from the enemy, and they were refusing to obey orders. Washington threw his hat on the ground in disgust. And

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

Some new information, like how after the death of his wife he took his wife’s half-sister as a lover and how one thinks of him as being progressive and open-minded in regards to slavery, he himself owned many slaves. This chapter tries to define Jefferson’s complex idea of liberty and does a decent job of it. George Washington is the most well-known man in all of the United States and the chapter that is presented in the book is about how he rose from a failed general to a military and political hero. The chapter also goes over certain personality traits that many people probably do not know the first president possessed, like how fragile Washington’s ego was; he was constantly worried about his image and did not want to do anything to damage it. It talks about how shy Washington was and that he knew he was not as educated as some of his fellow founding fathers. It also addresses Not normally what one would think when they think of the greatest military and political leader of America. This new information along with his ability to be humble and even human help to make this a fascinating

The Declaration of 1776 recognized as the first principle of our independence that all men are created equal. The Constitution neither authorized nor prohibited slavery. In 1801 importation of slaves was prohibited but smuggling and illegal importation continued. Domestic slave trading also continued driven by demand from the growth of cotton plantations in the South. Southern plantation owners needed a labor force and the slaves filled that role. Because of Union measures such as the Confiscation Acts and the Emancipation Proclamation, the war effectively ended slavery, even before the Thirteenth Amendment in December 1865 formally outlawed the institution of slavery. Constitutional delegates avoided using the terms "slave" or "slavery,"

“Attention, soldiers of the Continental army, the patriots of our colonies!” George Washington shouted, drawing attention to himself as he stood. The whispers along with mumbles stopped, every person bringing their attention to the general as he stood from top to bottom as well as proud. “I will explain quickly what the plan of action is before I separate you. One through five-thousand, you will be going with Lafayette, blocking their escape from Yorktown, waiting in the Chesapeake Bay! Alexander, I believe you had something to say to our people of the colonies?”

- Annotation: For this week’s class, I draw heavily upon 1776 by David McCullough. This book offers a compelling narrative on the Declaration of Independence, the battle of New York, and the Battle of Trenton. It is McCullough’s description of these events which influence my understanding of the revolution and impact the way in which it is taught in