1776Simon and Schuster, 2005 M05 24 - 400 pages America’s beloved and distinguished historian presents, in a book of breathtaking excitement, drama, and narrative force, the stirring story of the year of our nation’s birth, 1776, interweaving, on both sides of the Atlantic, the actions and decisions that led Great Britain to undertake a war against her rebellious colonial subjects and that placed America’s survival in the hands of George Washington. In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper. Based on extensive research in both American and British archives, 1776 is a powerful drama written with extraordinary narrative vitality. It is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color, farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the King’s men, the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known. Written as a companion work to his celebrated biography of John Adams, David McCullough’s 1776 is another landmark in the literature of American history. |
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... Connecticut, lent by the Putnam Phalanx: 26. Winterthur Museum, p. 1. Yale University Art Gallery: 16, 31, 42. Visit us on the World WideWeb: http://www.SimonSays.com For Rosalee Barnes McCullough Contents Part I: The Siege chapter.
... Connecticut, lent by the Putnam Phalanx: 26. Winterthur Museum, p. 1. Yale University Art Gallery: 16, 31, 42. Visit us on the World WideWeb: http://www.SimonSays.com For Rosalee Barnes McCullough Contents Part I: The Siege chapter.
Page 25
... Putnam. John Stark's New Hampshire regiment of 1,000 had marched in snow and rain, “wet and sloppy,” “through mud and mire,” without food or tents, seventyfive miles in three and a half days. The Massachusetts regiments, by far the ...
... Putnam. John Stark's New Hampshire regiment of 1,000 had marched in snow and rain, “wet and sloppy,” “through mud and mire,” without food or tents, seventyfive miles in three and a half days. The Massachusetts regiments, by far the ...
Page 34
... Putnam, a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill, who at fifty-seven was known affectionately as “Old Put.” Rough, “thick-set,” “all bones and muscles,” and leathery, with flowing gray locks and a headlike 34 David McCullough.
... Putnam, a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill, who at fifty-seven was known affectionately as “Old Put.” Rough, “thick-set,” “all bones and muscles,” and leathery, with flowing gray locks and a headlike 34 David McCullough.
Page 43
... Putnam standing in line for his rations along with everyone else. Nor was it easy for Putnam and others of the older officers to change their ways. On one occasion, surveying the work on defenses by horseback, Putnam paused to ask a ...
... Putnam standing in line for his rations along with everyone else. Nor was it easy for Putnam and others of the older officers to change their ways. On one occasion, surveying the work on defenses by horseback, Putnam paused to ask a ...
Page 51
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Contents
3 | |
20 | |
Dorchester Heights | 70 |
Fateful Summer | 113 |
Field of Battle | 155 |
Fortune Frowns | 201 |
Darkest Hour | 247 |
acknowledgments | 295 |
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Common terms and phrases
Ambrose Serle American Revolution army attack August battle Boston British Brooklyn Brooklyn Bunker Hill Cambridge Campaign of 1776 cannon Captain Colonel command Congress Connecticut December defense Delaware Diary Dorchester East River enemy enemy’s England fire force Fort Washington George Washington Glorious Cause Greene’s guns Heath Heights Henry Clinton Henry Knox Henry Steele Commager Hessians Howe’s Hudson Ibid ington Island Historical Society Israel Putnam Jabez Fitch James Grant Jersey John Adams John Hancock Johnston Joseph Hodgkins Joseph Plumb Martin Joseph Reed Journal July King Kips Bay Knox to Lucy letter Lieutenant London Long Island Long Island Historical Lord Lord Rawdon Loyalists Lucy Knox March Massachusetts miles military morning Nathanael Greene never night November NYHS o’clock officers orders Pennsylvania Philadelphia Princeton Putnam regiments retreat Scheer and Hugh September ships soldiers Stirling Sullivan Thomas town Trenton troops University Press Wash Washington to John William wrote York and Brooklyn
Popular passages
Page 46 - Tis not in mortals to command success, But we'll do more, Sempronius; we'll deserve it.
Page 250 - THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Page 112 - ... probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves ; whether they are to have any property they can call their own ; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them.
Page 48 - Though I am truly sensible of the high honor done me in this appointment, yet, I feel great distress from a consciousness, that my abilities and military experience may not be equal to the extensive and important trust...
Page 105 - Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel ; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
Page 48 - You may believe me, my dear Patsy, when I assure you, in the most solemn manner, that, so far from seeking this appointment, I have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it, not only from my unwillingness to part with you and the family, but from a consciousness of its being a trust too great for my capacity...
Page 78 - I have often thought how much happier I should have been, if, instead of accepting the command under such circumstances, I had taken my musket on my shoulder and entered the ranks, or, if I could have justified the measure to posterity and my own conscience, had retired to the back country, and lived in a wigwam.
Page 202 - Our situation is truly distressing. The check our detachment sustained on the 27th ultimo has dispirited too great a proportion of our troops and filled their minds with apprehension and despair. The militia, instead of calling forth their utmost efforts to a brave and manly opposition in order to repair our losses, are dismayed, intractable, and impatient to return. Great numbers of them have gone off — in some instances almost by whole regiments, by half ones, and by companies at a time.
Page 10 - America would have discerned the traitorous views of their leaders, and have been convinced that to be a subject of Great Britain, with all its consequences, is to be the freest member of any civil society in the known world.
Page 48 - But, lest some unlucky event should happen, unfavorable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in the room, that I, this day, declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think 117 myself equal to the command I am honored with.