1776 Book Report - 781 Words

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. Not only does he have a degree from Yale, but McCullough has also been awarded with the nations highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition to this, he has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice. He has also written multiple other non-fiction historical books and biographies such as Truman, The Great Bridge and John Adams. Further, McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country including the White House and Congress. The story begins with†¦show more content†¦A major battle in the book 1776, and an important turning point of the year, was the Battle of Trenton. After crossing the Delaware River, the Continental Army opened fire on the surprised Hessian troops that were stationed there. After a 45-minute battle, the Hessians surrendered, giving the Americans a much needed victory. McCullough shows the importance of this battle by describing multiple American victories that followed, such as the Battles of Princeton and Fort Lee. Through vivid descriptions of George Washington, I learned that he was not the best military leader. There were multiple times in the war where Washington was faced with difficult decisions, and proved to be very indecisive. Also, there were times where action needed to be taken, but he couldn’t decide what to do. Even though I learned Washington wasn’t as great as the history books explain him to be, it makes me respect him more to know that he, just like any other American, flawed. One thing in the story that shocked me is how different our perception of the Revolutionary War is from the reality. An example of this was how ill trained the American army was at the beginning of the war. The army was undisciplined, disobedient, and motivated only by their paychecks. Many perceive the soldiers as valiant, zealous men, but it wasn’t until much later in the war that the soldiers rose to the occasion and became the warriors that we remember today. Another thing that impressed me wasShow MoreRelatedThe Birth Of Benjamin Franklin1014 Words   |  5 Pagesendeavors he managed to find time to marry his childhood sweetheart, Deborah Read and have a son that he named William. His dedication to helping society continued with the development of the Library Company in 1731. The average person could not afford books, not to mention they were hard to come by, so Ben managed to use his resources to start the first ever subscription library. He became the clerk of the assembly of Pennsylvania in 1736 and by 1737 he was the postmaster of Philadelphia (Benjamin Franklin)Read MoreTheu.s. 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