1776 Review

In 1776, David McCullough takes the reader on a journey from 1775, where King George declared war on the American colonists to 1776, in the Battle of Trenton.  Along the way McCullough gives vivid description of the armies opposed in the American Revolution, along with the battle of Trenton, which is considered the turning point of the war.  The spirit of the American army, one reason why they won the war, is greatly displayed.  This book, of course, is factually based.  But it is a real page turner.

 The book starts with Britain, and King George’s decision to go to war.  A debate ensues between those opposed and those for in parliament.  Of course, the action of declaring war eventually happened.  The author then picks up after the battle of Bunker Hill.  Washington arrives in Boston in July with approximately 20,000 soldiers.  After a depletion in the amount of men, due to reenlistments, and a few scuffles in and around Boston, Washington’s army drove out the British from their comfortable position in Boston.  The British had left for Halifax and New York, and the Continental Army was right behind them.         

           A confident George Washington went into New York, with fewer advantages than when He fended off the British off in Boston.  During the armies stay, one of the most momentous documents in American history was signed: the Declaration of Independence.  A few days after, the British attacked in what seemed an act of retaliation against the declaration.  A month after this small fight, on August 21, 1776, The British attacked again, on a much larger scale.  The “ill prepared” (165) Americans were no match. The colonist army narrowly escaped in October, and only, due to the fog that hid them as they fled New York.  McCullough described the surrender of Fort Washington, in New York, “An utter catastrophe.”

  Morale was low in December when the colonists reached a safe haven in New Jersey.  With the duties of Washington’s up in nearly a month, something had to happen to boost their confidence.  That bot would be the battle of Trenton.  Washington devised a plan, to gather local militias and Cross the Delaware, to attack what was sure to be a surprised group of Hessian mercenaries.  Washington did catch them off guard, and captured 900 prisoners.  It was a major turning point, and at the day of reenlistment, more men enlisted then would have before the battle, had it not taken place.