What questions does the historian ask in this excerpt? David McCullough addressed the theme of the harsh situation of the War of 1776 leading by George Washington and the inspiring fighting in the winter. The chapters in the book were set by chronological order of the war, from the retreating of the Continental Army to the climax and turning point. The historian asked the following questions to make sure the readers understand the book: Who was Nathanael Greene and what was his personalities? And how did he serve in the Continental Army and the War of Independence that was so significant? What were the circumstances of the regulars during the war? Were the British circumstances better than the regulars? In what ways? Was George Washington an …show more content…
McCullough frequently used two primary sources: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series and The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. These two sources both were diaries and paper written by the figures, that McCullough could used those to help him archive the detailed description the war. The use of different people’s personal account made it possible to show the bigger picture of the war with different perspectives. The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, as the most referenced source, included papers from the Revolutionary War to show the characteristics and mental activities of George Washington, who was the most important figure at that time. The papers were from June 1775 to December 1783 that described the first person view of the war. McCullough had depended on it so much was because the first person account made the book more reliable and draw the readers into the story to understand the history more. How does this work compare to your …show more content…
This book recounted the war in 1776 in chronological order by individuals’ experiences, and specified the characteristics and lives of important figures. In each chapter, the main event was explained with detailed informations, including personal narratives, which displayed the authentic history. The book was written about the war happened in 1776, so McCullough mainly focused on what happened to Americans during the war, and he only mentioned few stories about the British; moreover, this war was not as much important to the British than to the Americans. The goal of McCollough was to reveal the authentic history and raise the awareness of the war to the readers because this war was so significant to
...s, an artisan and whose practical skill at achieving things done most resembles other American heroes. Fisher explained the courageous journey Paul Revere went through along with representing all that was best in the American character and Lieutenant-General Thomas Gage. Although viewing himself as a liberal and reasonable man who had originally liked Americans and was ended up married to one, Gage had come to hate the Bostonians among whomever else he found himself with during his role as military commander. The action of the book was presented in fifteen chapters (as well as an introduction, aftermath, and epilogue) with the famous alarm itself as midpoint. Paul Revere’s Ride did a great job sketching itself in every detail to explain both Gages, and Revere’s journeys.
Howard goes on to share that the story needs to be told from the standpoint of people from the war that’s not told in schoolbooks, “But to tell the story of the American Revolution, not from the standpoint of the schoolbooks, but from the standpoint of war as a complex
The compelling and infectious novel of Founding Brothers; The Revolutionary Generation written by Joseph J. Ellis combines our founding fathers weakness’ and strongest abilities in just six chapters. His six chapters tell the stories of: The duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. This entertaining chapter describes how duels were undertaken and played out in that time, and helps the reader understand both men's motives. The dinner which Thomas Jefferson held for Alexander Hamilton and James
In 1776, David McCullough gives a vivid portrayal of the Continental Army from October 1775 through January 1777, with sharp focus on the leadership of America’s greatest hero, George Washington. McCullough’s thesis is that had not the right man (George Washington) been leading the Continental Army in 1776, the American Revolution would have resulted in a vastly different outcome. He supports his argument with a critical analysis of Washington’s leadership during the period from the Siege of Boston, through the disastrous defense of New York City, the desperate yet, well ordered retreat through New Jersey against overwhelming odds, and concludes with the inspiring victories of Trenton and Princeton. By keeping his army intact and persevering through 1776, Washington demonstrated to the British Army that the Continental Army was not simply a gang of rabble, but a viable fighting force. Additionally, Mr. McCullough supports his premise that the key to the survival of the American Revolution was not in the defense of Boston, New York City, or any other vital terrain, but rather the survival of the Continental Army itself. A masterful piece of history, 1776 is not a dry retelling of the Revolutionary War, but a compelling character study of George Washington, as well as his key lieutenants, and his British adversaries, the most powerful Army in the 18th Century world. When I read this book, I went from a casual understanding of the hero George Washington to a more specific understanding of why Washington was quite literally the exact right man at the exact right place and time to enable the birth of the United States.
Throughout the book, Gary B. Nash narrates the war in chronological order to recount the war as it happened and emphasize the events that allowed for people of different class, gender, and/or race to stand up and call for American Independence or to turn on their country and join the British forces. In short, Nash emphasizes that the revolution was a “people’s revolution” [Page XV] and as such divided each chapter with
Alan Taylor is trying to prove that the story of America does not begin with the American Revolution. When, humans first encountered America between 12, 000- 15,000 years is where the story of American first starts. Alan Taylor's thesis is true because, prior to the American Revolution the Siberians arrived in America and settled from the tip of South America to as high as Alaska. Later European empires invaded and conquered several regions of America. Alan Taylor proves that the settlement of America does not begin in the 1492 but rather about 12,000 to 15,000 years earlier. The early Americans migrated from North Eastern Asia and entered in small boats along the coast. Some other hypothesis is that the earliest humans walked along a land
Revolutionary War: The Battles of Lexington and Concord The battles of Lexington and Concord were neccessary battles to the American Revolutionary War because they started the very thing that made our country free. Many people have always wondered how the historic American Revolutionary War got started. Sure, they have heard the stories of Paul Revere and the Midnight Ride: There was even a poem written about his ride, but Paul Revere didn’t start the war.
In Joseph Plumb Martin’s account of his experiences in the Revolutionary War he offers unique insight into the perspective of a regular soldier, which differs from the views of generals and leaders such as popular characters like George Washington. Martin’s narrative is an asset to historical scholarship as a primary source that gives an in-depth look at how life in the army was for many young men during the War for Independence. He described the tremendous suffering he experienced like starvation and privation. He did not shy away from describing his criticism of the government who he believes did not adequately care for the soldiers during and after the war. While he may be biased because of his personal involvement as a soldier, he seems to relate accounts that are plausible without embellishment or self-aggrandizement. Overall, “A Narrative of A Revolutionary Soldier” is a rich source of information providing an overview of military experience during the war.
He led the British in the battle of Bunker Hill. He led them down the hill about 3 times for retreat. But finally when the colonists ran out of ammo, they charged up the hill
Born in western Massachusetts in 1760, Joseph Plumb Martin was the son of a pastor; at the age of seven, he began living with his affluent grandfather. Almost as soon as the Revolutionary War broke out in the spring of 1775, young Joseph was eager to lend his efforts to the patriotic cause. In June 1776, at the tender age of 15, Martin enlisted for a six-month stint in the Connecticut state militia. By the end of the year, Martin had served at the Battles of Brooklyn, Kip’s Bay and White Plains in New York. Though Martin declined to reenlist when his six-month stint ended in December 1776, he later changed his mind, and on April 12, 1777 he enlisted in the 8th Connecticut division of General George Washington’s Continental Army, led by Colonel John Chandler. He would serve for the duration of the war (until 1783).
However, the author 's interpretations of Jefferson 's decisions and their connection to modern politics are intriguing, to say the least. In 1774, Jefferson penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America and, later, in 1775, drafted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Ellis 32-44). According to Ellis, the documents act as proof that Jefferson was insensitive to the constitutional complexities a Revolution held as his interpretation of otherwise important matters revolved around his “pattern of juvenile romanticism” (38). Evidently, the American colonies’ desire for independence from the mother country was a momentous decision that affected all thirteen colonies. However, in Ellis’ arguments, Thomas Jefferson’s writing at the time showed either his failure to acknowledge the severity of the situation or his disregard of the same. Accordingly, as written in the American Sphinx, Jefferson’s mannerisms in the first Continental Congress and Virginia evokes the picture of an adolescent instead of the thirty-year-old man he was at the time (Ellis 38). It is no wonder Ellis observes Thomas Jefferson as a founding father who was not only “wildly idealistic” but also possessed “extraordinary naivete” while advocating the notions of a Jeffersonian utopia that unrestrained
When one explains his or her ingenious yet, enterprising interpretation, one views the nature of history from a single standpoint: motivation. In The American Revolution: A History, Gordon Wood, the author, explains the complexities and motivations of the people who partook in the American Revolution, and he shows the significance of numerous themes, that emerge during the American Revolution, such as democracy, discontent, tyranny, and independence. Wood’s interpretation, throughout his literary work, shows that the true nature of the American Revolution leads to the development of United State’s current government: a federal republic. Wood, the author, views the treatment of the American Revolution in the early twentieth century as scholastic yet, innovative and views the American Revolution’s true nature as
David McCullough author of 1776 puts faces and feelings to the events of the Revolutionary war making this an exciting novel even when the ending is known. Acting as a companion to an earlier work of McCullough’s, John Adams, 1776 is a strictly military view of the era versus political. Although the reader may have to get accustomed to the vast amount of characters introduced McCullough makes sure that those you are supposed to remember you will. Every character introduced is described incredibly well and throughout the novel you begin to feel as if you know the character and are going through the battle with them, specifically General George Washington with whom the reader emphasizes constantly with throughout the war. With the great description of the characters and events we feel as if we are there and in doing this the author creates understanding, the reader by knowing all sides and characters’ personalities the feels they know why the Revolution happened the way it did.
The Continental Army changed greatly from its start to the end of the Revolutionary War. It began as loosely-united group of militiamen and evolved into a true military force, now credited with taking down the world’s premiere war machine of the late 1700s. The character of Evan Crutch in George Washington served his purpose to show the development of the Army. He as a soldier retained respect and loyalty to General Washington and for his nation, and by doing this he greatly encouraged those around him to do the same. Evan Crutch exemplified the true drive, courage, and passion the Army had developed by the end of the American Revolution, as well as the strong and honest relationship between General George Washington and his Continental Army.
Irving Washington wrote the text looking back two centuries. Apart from being a satire it deconstructs the concept of history by devaluation of the conflict via removal of one of its constituents or dehumanization of it which is one of the main implied themes of the story.