1776

Robert Jones
Mr. Thompson
American History
October 4, 2014
1776 by David Maccullough Throughout the 18th century, tensions had been steadily increasing between Great Britain and the American colonies. The colonists were only upset because of the taxes and restrictions Parliament constantly bombarded them with, and King George III knew this. After the French and Indian War ended in 1763 with the Treaty of Paris, Britain now owned a vast majority of the north American continent. With the threat of the French and Indian Tribes uplifted, colonists became suspicious as to why Britain had sent so many troops to America. It came to the realization that Britain and America didn't see eye to eye, and that violent actions would inevitably conspire. Events like The Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party were all retaliations to restrictive Acts passed by Parliament. This back-and-forth squabble would eventually result in an all-out war, the Revolutionary War, beginning with Lexington and Concord. This is what David Maccullough writes about in his book 1776. The book covers all of the major battles that occurred at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, starting with The Battle of Bunker Hill and ending with The Battle of Trenton in 1776. The beginning of the book is written from England's point of view. King George III is described as a plain man who doesn't follow fashion and is faithful to his wife, both of which are very uncommon in Parliament. He is still highly respected, but history often remembers him for his madness later in his career, not as the rightful leader that he was at first. His decision was to try and suppress the rebellion as fast as possible, and this decision was heavily debated in Parliament. After this Maccullough shifts over to the colonies, where tensions in Boston are higher than ever. The Battle of Bunker Hill occurs almost immediately after Lexington and Concord, which began the war. Although thousands of British suffered injury or death during this battle they were still victorious. The British most likely won because the American troops were mostly undisciplined volunteer farmers. Shortly after the troops were put under the command of George Washington. Washington had basically switched sides, wanting to fight for England as a young boy like his brother had done, and then serving under British General Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War. However he saw the need for a rebellion, though he was still an Englishman at heart. Seeing that he, unforced, took control of the colonial militia says a lot about his commitment to the American rebellion. Also another general depicted in the book is Nathanael Green, who was out of place as a general, seeing that he was a Quaker, only thirty-three at the time, and had no experience on the battlefield. However he was self-educated through reading, and wrote constantly about the events in the war, described George Washington as a leader, and contemplated on the meaning of life. The British commanders, Howe and Gage, debated their strategy for taking Boston. All agreed that Dorchester Heights was necessary for its security, including the Americans, but none would attempt to take it. They dreamed of burning Boston and in fact, the entire coastline, but instead they fortified Bunker Hill and dug in for the long winter. Washington’s valiant, but still rugged men were ordered to march toward New York. Even in much inclement weather, they trudged on. This call had been Washington’s, and his alone. The Continental Congress agreed that New York was vital to the whole continent and should be protected. New York was not as welcoming a place as Boston, however, as it was filled with loyalists, many with financial interests in the city. New York proved a much different town than Boston in other ways too. Although there were numerous churches and one synagogue the men attended, there was also licentious behavior that the officers had to contend with. Drinking and visiting prostitutes brought on syphilis among the troops, and small pox broke out as well. The penalty for such behavior was being shot, but it was difficult to distinguish soldiers from civilians since the New Englanders still had no uniforms. Washington and his officers decided that Long Island and Brooklyn in particular was the key to New York and must therefore be defended at all costs. Washington put Nathanael Greene in charge of the troops. On September 9, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge agreed to a meeting with Lord Howe. The meeting came to naught, but it did buy Washington’s troops’ precious time. Washington and his war council decided to move all the troops, save Putnam’s, to King’s Bridge. On Saturday the 14th, the Congress ordered the troops to abandon the city. The British, however, were again on the move. Against General Henry Clinton’s wishes, the Howe brothers insisted that the landing take place at Kip’s Bay. Just one day before the Americans’ retreat was finished, the canons and the invasion started from three frigates stationed there. The remaining Americans fled under the superior firepower—all save the furious George Washington who rode within 100 yards of the battle brandishing a pistol or his sword, threatening to slay deserters. Because of so many defeats and failed campaigns, Washington now had many enemies, including General Lee. Washington dictated a letter giving Lee orders and dispatched it through Joseph Reed who wrote another letter to Lee of his own. Reed clearly flattered Lee and told him what he wished to hear—that Lee himself should be commanding the army. He urged Lee to approach the Continental Congress to ask for a change in leadership. Once again, the New Year was rolling around and Washington worried about his war-weary soldiers. Their commissions were about to expire and the officers feared they would lose the better part of the army, such as it was. Washington’s fears were not unfounded. By the end of August, he had only 3500 troops. In addition to sickness and being tired of battle, Washington not could get the 13 states to send militias the governors wanted their fighters at home to protect themselves. They were not impressed with the progress of the war. Washington dispatched two of his closest men to Pennsylvania and New Jersey to appeal for militiamen, but they were refused. The closing pages of the book relay King George’s words at the opening of the next year’s Parliament. The war was not over and there would be much blood still to shed.