The American Revolution, which was basically a chess game played out between the two great Georges of the eighteenth century, involved King George III of England and Washington, the second player in the chess game. His essential role is depicted by the thesis of the book, which states that without the Continental troops led by George Washington, the fight for American independence would never have been achieved (McCullough).Īs much as the British troops were well equipped and experienced, Washington led an army of Americans from various backgrounds and ages that lacked adequate training in military combat. The major theme detailed in the book is the theme of leadership portrayed by George Washington. Although there were spirited attempts from the Americans to gain freedom, the British used forceful means to continue their oppressive rule, for example, the violent killing of five people during the Boston Massacre and the enactment of the Tea Act that forced locals to purchase tea only from accredited British companies.

The colonies, led by Samuel Adams, successfully forced the British to repeal these taxes by threatening the tax collectors.īesides, the British continued their oppression by imposing a tax on essential imported goods such as tea and paper. First, they needed to impose the stamp act. The British wanted the Americans to pay taxes even though there was not even one parliamentary representative for all the thirteen colonies. In illustrating how America got its freedom from Great Britain, the author starts by pointing the readers to the theme of oppression that was propagated by the colonialists. Themes in 1776 by David McCulloughġ776 is a book about the significant events that took place when the thirteen American colonies were fighting the world’s most notable power, Great Britain, in order to gain freedom from its oppressive rule. As much as the book mainly revolves around George Washington, there is also considerable attention given to “King George III, General Howe, Henry Knox, and Nathanael Greene, and the main key revolutionary conflicts portrayed in the book include the Battle of Dorchester Heights, the Battle of Long Island, and the Battle of Trenton” (McCullough 1). However, the situation on the ground worsened until the war was unavoidable. as the British and the American politicians made drastic efforts to reach a compromise. The period was one of the turbulent and confusing times in the history of the U.S.

This 1776 book review essay shall analyze the story by McCullough. 1776, which adds a new scholarship and a fresh perspective to events that took place at the start of the American Revolution, is a historical book written by David McCullough that is considered a companion to his earlier biography of John Adams.

1776 by david mccullough