The Birth of a New America in 1776

The book 1776 by David McCullough offers a look into the birth of the American nation. McCullough’s book takes on a military perspective as it details the critical battles of the American Revolution.

The central thesis to the book seems to be that the American nation that its citizens hold so proudly was the consequence of intense military strife in achieving freedom from the British, who considered America, a colony. The author successfully details this strife in each of the book's chapters, however, a few significant aspects of the book stand out.

For example, the dwindling morale of the American soldiers appears prominent throughout the book. According to the author, the American forces used every available and non-disabled person to make an army, yet, most of these people were not acclimatized to the battleground or war effort of any kind. As such, morale was a significant issue among these soldiers, who also had obligations in their respective households. Evidently, the American forces had a difficult time maintaining soldiers due to the high rate of deserters.

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The Armies also faced a severe shortage of supplies. War efforts are in most part expensive endeavors that require massive financial resources. However, General Washington lacked the necessary resources further diminishing their chances of success and the morale of the group. In multiple occasions, Washington expressed hopelessness in response to his deteriorating situation. A series of defeats in New York also contributed to the dire situation, and the war effort also involved some victories that allowed the American forces to maintain their momentum and eventually win the war.

It is also very commendable that the war effort led to some level of racial interaction that was not antagonistic. Unfortunately, it was an unwelcomed solution to the problem of supply of soldiers, nevertheless, George Washington had a herculean task of managing a war under severe constraints of soldiers, supplies, and overwhelming defeats in New York.

The narrative begins with the discussion of the American war in the English Houses. King George III was at the helm of England’s leadership at the point leading to a discussion on the issue. The King was concerned that the colonist outnumbered the British and could lead to a problem. Upon learning the intensification of the war and the battles in Massachusetts, the English parliament approved the dispatch of 2000 soldiers to Boston to address the growing concern that was George Washington’s forces. The author goes on to define the state of American troops. He refers to Nathaniel Greene’s concerns that supplies were running low. George Washington presented himself as a capable leader repeatedly by leading his forces to victory as well as mobilizing resources. Each of these situations undermined his leadership. Towards the conclusion of the first year, Washington had lost a significant number of soldiers to disease, war, and failure to reenlist, including some of his closest allies. Nevertheless, Washington remained steadfast in his search for independence from the British.

The third chapter details the British invasion of Boston that took up the entire region except for Dorchester. The author uses this chapter to detail the strife among British soldiers who suffered from the leadership of autocrats. The chapter also shows the failure of the American force in Quebec and its success at Fort Ticonderoga. It also shows a growing need to fortify New York and prevent the British from taking the upper hand. However, the sneak attack and claim on Dorchester proved to be the greatest American achievement in the war leading to resounding success and momentum for New York, which had become a British target. In the fourth chapter, the author details the anticipation for an attack on New York, which was vulnerable since waterways surrounded it. George Washington marched his army to New York to fortify the city as intended. However, his troops still faced the same problems of lacking morale and supplies. Nevertheless, his cause still attracted soldiers to New York, and the Americans faced significant challenges from British Loyalists living in New York that even tried to assassinate Washington.

The following chapter indicates how the British gained Long island and used it as an access point in their plan to attack Brooklyn. On the other hand, Washington was struggling to maintain discipline and morale among his forces. The forces suffer a defeat at Brooklyn and Long Island. In response, Washington organizes a cunning retreat without the British knowledge to save his troops from a dangerous situation. In the sixth chapter details the losses that the American incurred at the hands of the British in New York. British had far superior forces, arms, and discipline allowing them to capitalize on mistakes that the American side committed. The issue culminates in the attack and surrender of Fort Washington to the British. The final chapter in the book details the continuation of the British success in New York and the concerns on Washington’s leadership. At a point where the war effort was seemingly lost for the Americans, Washington used information from spies in the British army to gain the upper hand at Trenton on Christmas Eve. This victory reinvigorated the soldiers and the war effort. The American forces eventually prevailed due to the support from other nations such as France and the Netherlands.

The book is highly effective at achieving the intended message. The author set out to demonstrate the military strife that gave rise to the American nation. He structures the book to address the central thesis systematically using a chronological order to the events. Throughout the book, the challenges that the American forces met remains prominent. The lack of morale, financial resources, and failures contributed to a struggle that had a satisfying end. As such, the author does pass the message that the birth of America occurred following a long and tenuous struggle.