...The Declaration of Independence can be divided into four main parts. The first part is an introduction that states the purpose of the document, which was to explain why the American people were declaring independence from the government of Great Britain. The second part is a theory of good government and individual rights generally accepted by Americans from the 1770s until today. In this theory, all individuals are equal in their possession of certain immutable rights. These rights are not granted by the government. Rather, they are inherent to human nature. Therefore, the first purpose of a good government is to secure or protect these rights. Further, a good government is based on the consent of the governed -- the people -- who are the sole source of the government's authority. If their government persistently violates this theory of good government, then the people have the right to overthrow it. The third part of the document is a list of grievances against King George III, who was singled out to represent the actions of the British government. These grievances are examples of actions that violated the criteria for good government stated in the second part of the Declaration of Independence. These grievances, therefore, justify separation from the King's bad government and establishment of a good government to replace it. The fourth and final part of the document is an unqualified assertion of sovereignty by the United States of America. It proclaims the determination of...
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...What were the major areas of disagreement between the American colonists and the British policymakers that developed during the period 1763 to 1776? “That these are the acts of power assumed by a body of men foreign to our constitutions, and unacknowledged by our laws; against which we do, on behalf of the inhabitants of British America, enter this our solemn and determined protest” (Jefferson). In the years leading up to the American Revolution it was perhaps the case that the paper, not the pen, was mightier than the sword. In affirmation of the law of unintended consequences, the English imposed Stamp Act, which did what the colonists could not do for themselves: It united them. The new peace in Europe caused a fundamental shift in the...
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...Abraham Wu Jeremy Chandruc/ Randolph Fodali US History I 9 September 2013 Booker T. Washington once said, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” In 1776, by David McCullough, this quote truly resonates the fact that it is the little things that count, as not necessarily the big picture. Although there are many pitfalls the Americans go through during the course of this story, the outcome of the war would be a positive success to the Americans. As a result, good leadership is a very important factor in accomplishing a goal. Also, encouragement is a big help when it comes to boosting a soldier’s morale. Furthermore, endurance is vital to an army and a war’s success based on the spirit of the men and the devotion to their cause. To begin, a leader has to be both disciplined and commanding. There are many men that can have this position, but George Washington is the ultimate man that best fits these criteria. The author describes him as the man that has, “The look and bearing of a man accustomed to respect and to being obeyed” (McCullough, 42). This is very crucial of a great leader because his followers will believe in whatever he says and they will cooperate with him. Thus, Washington had the charm and the ability to make people respect him due to his behavior and his way of interacting with people. In doing so, this helps him in gaining other people’s respect over the years as both...
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...David McCullough's "1776" provides readers with a thorough and insightful analysis of the events that took place during a pivotal year of the American Revolution. Through extensive research and attention to detail, McCullough examines the key figures, decisions, and battles that shaped the nation's destiny. He did research in twenty-five different libraries, archives, and special collections. He even went to several historical sights in the United States and the United Kingdom to make sure that all of his facts were correct and to give the best depiction of what happened in the year 1776. Throughout the book, McCullough puts a huge emphasis on specific military figures, such as General Charles Lee, John Sullivan, Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox,...
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...Americans remember 1776 for the bravery many leaders displayed at the time of crisis, yet leaders of the time knew it only as a turning point. During the year many losses did occur, such as the Battle of New York, but the wins at Boston, Princeton and Trenton laid out America’s future. David McCullough in the aptly titled 1776 displayed the intricacies of the year in total, and claims through weary diction and use of contrast that leaders aren’t just brave people, but need to lie and be naive to prevail in the goals set forth. During the year, McCullough described Washington lying for the the war effort. Washington tried to keep army moral up due to the shortage of tents, “blankets and clothing” all the while realizing the army’s “the situation...
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...1776, written by David McCullough ventures upon the valorous journey of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence. Washington supporters doubted their generals abilities once mistakes were encountered, leading to a deprivation in confidence. However, Washington prevented himself from acknowledging the crippling doubt permeating his people by facing the practically impossible odds he was meant to handle. McCullough illustrates a man imbued with experience, perseverance, and a realistic mindset as the general who turned average Americans into a threatening power that would defeat the greatest military in human history. Washington commanded the Virginia Regiment and the militia at the ill-fated Battle of Fort Necessity, yet...
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...In the book “1776” by David McCullough, it tells the tale of war times in the year 1776. This book is a work of historical nonfiction and a true account of an American History, based on true events of war, hard times with many people, and the lives of soldiers. Their accounts take us throughout the South to the North. George Washington was a man that many of us know and will know for years to come and this book will give the readers a look into his life as he battles in war time during 1776. At the same time we must not forget who was with him and the other men on the opposing sides of these battles. David McCullough will walk his readers through heroic battles, sadness, illness, and lives that many of us never realized happen. The author...
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...David McCullough, 1776, New York, 2006, 294 Pages. 1776 by David McCullough captures the privately year that includes the American Revolution and the Continental Congress, where the decision was made that colonies would fight for their independence from Great Britain. The bestseller is divided in three parts in rough chronological order. McCullough includes some of the thought process behind the colonies desire for independence, but he focuses more on the war between the colonies and the British and the people behind those actions. The balance between the two sides are represented as unbiasedly as possible, to portray them evenly. This book tells the story of how General George Washington almost came to defeat in the year 1776. This is also the year that the Declaration of Independence was written. Washington assumed that the British were about to capture Philadelphia after crossing the Delaware river.. Philadelphia was also known as the capital of the revolution. Washington wrote that the only thing the enemy was waiting for to attack was "ice for a passage, and the dissolution of the poor remains of our debilitated army." (270) Washington was sorely mistaken. McCullough uses the statement that the war was lost by the British rather than won by the Americans. At this point, General Howe,...
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...The colonist declared their independence in 1776 from Great Britain because they felt that they had been treated unfairly. One of the main reasons that the colonist felt mistreated was because they were being taxed by Britain without any representation in Parliament. To show Great Britain how much they hated taxation without representation the colonist refused to purchase English goods that they felt were being unfairly taxed. Some of these goods included printed-paper, tea, and clothes. One of the most famous protests was the Boston Tea Party. At the Boston Tea Party colonist, dressed as Mohawk Indians, dumped English Tea into the Boston Harbor to protest the high tax that had been placed on tea. Because of this, King George III closed...
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...Date: Winter of 1776 It’s been months, years even since I last went home to see my family. My hands feel like they are about to fall off due to the freezing winter. Many of the men are naked, getting frost bites while sitting in the snow. Many feel like that the war will end with the British victorious and we will be hung for our actions. We have no supplies, many have starved and others die of disease. I feel the worse is yet to come. Wait, George Washing is standing up with a piece of paper in his hand, let's see what he will say. “Soldiers of the Continental Army, we may not have supplies and we may not have trained armies, but we have hope, hope for freedom.” said George Washington. “And, for that I will get you pumped up so we can win...
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...On May 15, 1776, the Virginia Convention "resolved unanimously that the delegates appointed to represent this colony in General Congress be instructed to propose to that respectable body to declare the United Colonies free and independent states . . . [and] that a committee be appointed to prepare a Declaration of Rights and . . . plan of government." R. H. Lee's resolution of June 7, 1776, implemented the first of these resolutions and precipitated the appointment of the committee to draw up the Declaration of Independence; the second proposal was carried out by the framing of Virginia's first state constitution, of which this declaration was an integral part. It is notable for containing an authoritative definition of the term militia in Section 13....
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...From 1776 to 1830, women’s rights depended on many things, including where they lived, their marital status, and other social aspects of life in the colonies. During the beginning of America, state laws determined women’s rights instead of federal laws. For example, black women in Northern states had more rights, such as the right to marry, have custody of children, and own property, than Southern states because slavery was abolished in the North. Another contributing factor to women’s rights, is if a woman is married or single, because if a woman is married, they are completely dependent on her husband and and control all assets of the family, such as owning property. But if a woman is unmarried, they can have personal properties, enter contracts,...
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...When thinking about the causes of the American Revolution, many tend to primarily list events that happened just before 1776: taxation without representation, the boycotts of British goods, and the Boston Tea Party, as examples. But the tensions that led the American colonists to wage war against Britain had existed over a century before the first battles and involved a series of different gripes with the government besides taxation. Over the course of a hundred years, the colonies grew distrustful and disdainful towards their government, and increasing violence in the 1770s finally led to the Revolutionary War. Many people erroneously believe that the causes for the American Revolution stem from the colonists having a different cultural identity than the British. American colonists in the 18th century saw themselves as English, not American, and emulated British clothing, architecture, and etiquette in a process called Anglicization. Furthermore, there was no united “American” identity between the thirteen colonies at the time. Each region “had developed...
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...1776: The Year to Try Men's Souls Thomas Paine, an author and founding father of The United States, wrote in his 1776 work The America Crisis: "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 his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." This quote, in my mind, completely sums up the extraordinary year that is 1776. Captain james cook was departing for his third voyage, San Francisco was founded, there were scandals in europe and deadly hurricanes in the caribbean but in a corner of a mostly uncharted world sat a brand new country, The United States of America, just try to stay alive. From Historic gatherings to...
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...When I was in school, I do not know the significance of historical primary sources. I usually thought why do I have to understand this? Nevertheless, as I started to become older and much more informed and created the own responsibilities of mine, I understood I had to understand my responsibilities and rights as a citizen Not only do I, but any other individual needs to know the background and significant of the events that led us to become who we are today. It is important to have an understanding of how we obtained our independence from, the outlaw on slavery, and any other notable law, document, or event that molded American into what it is today. In the document 7-1, Common Sense, January 1776, Thomas Paine makes the case for independence. Paine describes the origins of government and the structure and function of the British monarchy, he includes specific recommendations for recruiting soldiers, financing a war, and structuring a new government, and urges unity and continued armed resistance at a...
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