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David McCullough's book titled 1776 tells the story about the American Revolution with an entertaining narrative. The book takes the reader throughout the journey of the American Revolution, from the first bloodshed at Lexington and Concord, the British victory at Bunker Hill, to the battle in New York and New Jersey, which determined America's independence. McCullough's ability to turn his extensive research into a captivating novel was able to draw m in because his writing went far beyond any textbook or article I had ever read about the American Revolution.
McCullough captured my attention due to the extensive research he conducted in regards to the characters he mentioned.
Compared to reading I have done about the American Revolution this semester in class and when I was in high school, McCullough's talent for descriptive writing made me feel as if I was in the book along with King George III as his anchor sheet, supporting his decisions about the war he was about to cast.
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McCullough introduced men who took part in the revolution and how made their importance known. As he takes you through the journey of the American Revolution from the moment it was initiated to the end of the battle, he discusses both sides of the war. He is telling the narrative in the third person, but he is mainly focusing on the British which I enjoyed because I learned more about the trials they were going through and their views about the colonies rebellion towards independence. He extensively provides detailed information on the meeting and speeches delivered between the high powers of British leaders.
The most important aspect of the book was that McCullough was able to introduce every character's background information and how they were important to the story; for both the Americans and British. Therefore, he is able to discuss in depth each character instead of just merely having one main character throughout the whole book.
Leadership is the recurring theme in McCullough's book. He was able to portray each leader's views and how their background and current position reflected their leadership decisions. This is first recognizable by the introduction of the first character, His Royal Majesty, George III, King of England who at first doesn't seem like the most interesting character. McCullough begins to describe him through the eyes of common people which was that he was a plain, dull and socially awkward individual due to the way he was raised; George III preferred to dress in farmer's clothes and focus on his farm. However, he flips the switch by contradicting every detail that the common people thought of him. He how interesting he is and how he had a genuine love for music, played the piano, and how he also had a love for architecture. It is also mentioned that George the III, suffered from porphyria which made people believe he had a mental illness but it was just a hereditary disease. Therefore, from all the information given by McCullough is describing a different side of George III to have readers better understand where he is coming from as a leader. Yet, he does state that in times of crisis that King George III understood that he must portray a more patriotic king and become more involved with the people. As King George III was the leader for the British, he was constantly finding new ways to defeat America even if that meant changing generals who stood with his views and hiring mercenary troops to fight in their battle.
Another important figure that McCullough introduces which proposes the theme of leadership was through commander in chief of the American army, George Washington. Washington is portrayed as a man above the rest, who admired and respected by almost all his troops along with British leaders. All in all, he was an ideal leader for America's cause. McCullough quotes Washington the at the beginning of the book, 'Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages' (1). This was important quote because it foreshadowed the book; in the end, American earned its victory over the British due to the fact that they never gave up the fight or let victories throughout the war allow them to get comfortable. Although it was mentioned that Washington's his generals were much younger and they lacked knowledge and experience as opposed to the British forces, that is what gave them leverage because the British did not expect such a trying and vigorous war. Washington was a determined leader who was constantly strategizing new plans to help advance over the British. He also remained humble during the battles and did not celebrate or acknowledge their victories until they had succeeded British control. As McCullough stated that even after Washington had a smaller, unfit army in Boston along with losing some officers, he did not believe that the war was over and British won.
During this time, it was evident how loyal his generals were to him considering they continued to want to prove themselves worthy to Washington. Washington's leadership and war tactics are what overall earned America their independence. Colonel William Tudor, who was Washington's judge advocate, also placed his life on the line for Washington on behalf of the fact that Washington abandoned everything to fight for America's independence.
King George III's leadership in comparison to George Washington's was significantly different due to the loyalty of his people. After the battle of Bunker Hill, those who opposed war were given even more reasons why the war was not the answer. The idea of 'shedding British blood by British hands,' along with the cost of war led the people to believe that that administration (King George and his supporters) were not able to be trusted. Therefore, King George needed to stress the importance of the war and how losing the colonies could cause an end to the British empire. He had to call upon various army officers, soldiers, and political figures to deliver speeches about the negative effects that would occur if they lose the war and America gained independence. In comparison to George Washington, the people of the colonies placed trust in him and loyalty to fight the battle. His men also felt the need to prove his loyalty to him. Washington influence on his men and people were strong, therefore he did not put in as much effort as King George III had to do to ensure that the war was necessary and that he needed men to fight.
The second apparent theme is military strategy and war tactics. In the beginning battles such as the battle at Lexington and Concord, it was surprising that the Americans at first had the upper hand. The first encounter of battle proved that the British army was not as prepared as they had hoped, especially since they were considered to have the most technologically advanced and strong army as opposed to the colonies. Throughout the book, it shows that both armies did not have the best military strategies or the strongest war tactics. For instance, the British chose a slower approach to reach victory, instead of attacking the American army head-on, they would retract in times when they had thought they had won. General Howe proved this point after the battles in New York and Jersey in which he had various chances to attack Washington's army when they were weak but instead he retracted and instead it leads to the British defeat. As opposed to the British military, the American army kept persevering and finding a way to strike their enemy. George Washington's plan to cross the river on Christmas night and attack the Hessians using the element of surprise was what gained their victory over Great Britain. The form of military strategies used in the Revolutionary War has influenced war tactics and military strategies of past and present generations.
1776 was definitely an eye-opener of what actually took place during the American Revolution due to David McCullough's study on the war and the way he framed it, helped me become more interested in the history that occurred. McCullough brought life to characters that have just been merely named in history and turned them into characters that I now have a greater understanding as a result of all the information he provided throughout the book, along with portraits. Before reading the book, I just thought of the American Revolution as a time that America wanted to gain freedom but after reading the book, I am filled with knowledge about how there was much more history between the lines of what occurred in order to obtain that freedom, from both the British and American side.
American Revolution Book 1776. (2022, Jan 29). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/american-revolution-book-1776-essay
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