Summary Of 1776 By David Mccullough

In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed, freeing America from British rule. The Colonies were taxed as normal citizens but had no representation in parliament. Unrest began to grow within the colonies, and on April 19th of 1775, the Revolutionary War began between Britain and the Continental Army. The novel, 1776, by David McCullough, gives detailed perspectives of both sides of the war, and the people who led and fought in them. The book mainly focuses on George Washington, and his men and the strategies they used to overcome the British army, and we see the struggles of going to war with an ill-prepared army This book is a biographical telling of the Revolutionary War, going into extreme detail, making it important for any AP student

This left many of the soldiers exposed to the weather during the nights, leaving many cold and wet. The camps were also ravaged by sickness, which took the lives of many during the war. McCullough notes sickness within the camps, “There had been sickness aplenty from the start, deadly ‘camp fever’, which grew worse as summer went on.”(McCullough, 30). Camp fever’s scientific names were Typhus, and Typhoid fever, which were undiscovered at the time, making it difficult to treat. The Continental Army also faced an extreme lack of gunpowder. In 1776 McCullough writes “So great was the need to conserve powder that the morning gun, a camp ritual, was dispensed with. Spears were issued to the troops to be used in the event of a British attack.”(McCullough,60). At the time, only one factory within the colonies produced gunpowder, which was in Pennsylvania. One mill was not nearly enough to supply the entire Continental Army, creating another problem for George Washington. The Continental Army was ill-prepared in many ways, the men were untrained, sick, unhappy, and lacked many necessary

Instead of formatting the book as a long, boring textbook, McCullough writes a novel, turning the events into a story, while staying historically accurate. McCullough cultivated many articles and documents to ensure he stayed true to the people and the events. The novel is an important piece that any AP history student should read if they want to learn more about the Revolutionary War. The novel 1776 is a novel that tells the events of the Revolutionary War and the people who fought in it, including George Washington, and General Charles Reed. McCullough also writes about the men on the British side such as King George III, and General William Howe, and how they fought against the Continental Army. The novel is a biography, mainly of George Washington, what strategies he used, and what kind of a person he was. We also learn about the struggles Washington faced during the war, and how he fought with an army of civilians, many of whom were underage and