...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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...George Washington and John Adams were the first two presidents of the United States. They played vital roles in creating the American Republic, and had it not been for them, our current American Republic would be very different or possibly even nonexistent. Yet, despite the hard work they put into our nation’s beginnings, they were also very different. Both men came from the same era, but could one be considered better than the other? George Washington, born on February 11, 1732, in Westmoreland Country, Virginia was our nation's first President. Washington and his ancestors were quite influential in Virginia “The patriarch of the family, John Washington, had come over from England in 1657 and established the Washingtons as respectable, if not...
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...George Washington, a strong, smart and bold leader. Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolution, and was the first to become U.S. president. As the years went on he grew in his knowledge, and soon enough he was a magnificent president/leader. He is now known as one of the seven founding fathers of the United States. Today, I will be writing about his life, who he has influenced today, and why he is an important person to know about. Washington’s ancestory is originally all the way from England. His great-grandfather, John Washington, migrated from England to colonial Virginia. Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, was an ambitious man who acquired land and slaves, built mills, and grew tobacco. Augustine...
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...The American War for Independence: Sea Power, Joint and Combined Operations: Question 7. Given the overwhelming British victories in New York and New Jersey in 1776, how was General Washington able to avoid catastrophic defeat and eventually win the war? By Julie Moss A paper submitted to the Faculty of the Naval War College in partial satisfaction of the requirements of the Department of Strategy and War. The contents of this paper reflect my own personal views and are not necessarily endorsed by the Naval War College or the Department of the Navy. Signature: /JKM/ BACKGROUND Following the French-Indian War, The American Revolution began between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the former British colonies in North America. The British power was trying to overwhelm the colonists of New America with many acts, such as the Stamp Act, the Sugar Act, and the Intolerable Acts, all of which were deemed illegitimate by the colonists and in violation of the rights as Englishmen. For the most part, colonists were trying to reject the oligarchies that were common in Europe and started to believe in Republicanism based on the Enlightenment. Many leaders took part in this Revolution; one of the most important of whom was General George Washington. His role was vital in the victory for Americans and their freedom from the power of Britain. As the war for independence approached, Washington was known throughout the American Colonies for his courage and military exploits...
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...him to an interesting turn in his life(Foner). Thomas Paine is a prominent man who enlightened people through his writing, modify many United State citizens by his inspiring pamphlet “Common Sense”, and the change he was made in the United States because of his accomplishments. Thomas Paine wanted to show the common man why they should be independent of Britain. Paine wanted to reveal the corruption of the British monarchy and how the king was martinet. “in America, Paine believed there was a chance of righting the balance and bringing the ordinary citizen into power , if only the country could be made to see the necessity...
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...Except from Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett Fischer CONCLUSION ~ The War and the American Revolution We have a very difficult card to play. We often have to act by the moon or twilight and leave the World to judge it in the clear sunshine. -General William Maxwell to Adam Stephen, April 10, 17771 On New Year’s Day in 1777, Robert Morris sent George Washington a letter that rings strangely in a modern ear. “The year 1776 is over,” Morris wrote. “I am heartily glad of it and hope you nor America will ever be plagued with such another.” Washington shared that feeling, which was very far from our own. We celebrate 1776 as the most glorious year in American history. They remembered it as an agony, especially the “dark days” of autumn.2 Americans have known many dark days, from the starving times in early settlements to the attack on the World Trade Center. These were the testing times and the pivotal moments of our history. It was that way in 1776, after the decision for independence and the military disasters in New York. In early December, British commanders believed that they were very close to ending the rebellion, and American leaders feared that they might be right. Then came a reversal of fortune, and three months later the mood had changed on both sides. By the spring of 1777, many British officers had concluded that they could never win the war. At the same time, Americans recovered from their despair and were confident that they would...
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...How did women effect the American Revolution and what were the after affects for women’s roles in society? It is vital to look further into women’s roles in the American Revolution and also how they were affected after. We have researched the roles of Women in the French Revolution with the studies of Pauline Leon and the march on Versailles, but I believe it is important to see how the women of our country prompted the word live in today. There are many key men in the revolution, but for some reason the women who were crucial during the revolution are not as celebrated. I believe this topic shows relevance to the overall theme of the course because it is a key aspect of the American Revolution. Historians believe women during the American...
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...Sarah Rinehart Miss Keener AP US History November 2, 2015 The Shaping of American Politics Some would say that American politics began September third 1783 when the American Revolution ended, or that they began the fourth of July 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Regardless of the starting date, it can be unanimously decided that the Federalist party was a major political influence during the beginnings of the country, especially after the signing of the Constitution. Even though it was not the only major political party in the United States at the time, the Federalists greatly shaped American politics during their reign of power through dominating government powers, using their beliefs to strengthen the central government,...
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...Over the course years after the American Revolution, Americans typically viewed the revolution as American colonies standing up to the “big bad bully” that is Great Britain and rebel for their freedom and rights and that “these years are the most important in American history, indeed in the history of the world”. That American colonist wanted to be viewed by Great Britain as an independent country. John Merrell thinks that the revolutionary period deserves to be looked at closer. Merrell insist that “the founding fathers would be surprised by our certainty, for they themselves were confused” confused about what they had started in the revolution. In the article merrell talks about how hard it was for john Adams and his friend, Jefferson, to make sense of their Revolution and that they “knew what generations since have largely forgotten” which is that the independence of America was unheard of and such a unbelievable event. Merrell suggest that we have to look past the American heroes to find the real reasoning behind it all. We can find the true impact of the revolution by looking deep into the social aspects in pre-Revolutionary and post revolution. With all the news about a rebellion against Great Britain more social groups started to come into play one of them being white women. In the 1700’s women were not considered a person but as a possession males had, but the boycotting of British goods gave women a bigger role. Merrell suggest that woman played a major role in the...
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...The Impact of the Franco- Britain Conflict on Subsequent Events “The global struggle between the French and British Empire influenced certain key events in history from 1750 to 1805. These events including the French and Indian war, by the seven year war, the American Revolution, the French Revolution and it's impact on American domestic and foreign policies, and the Louisiana purchase and it's consequences.” Colonial era diplomacy focused on the European balance of power. The competition between the French and the British often influenced the course of events in the North American colonies. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775 For almost three centuries, the European colonial powers of France and Great Britain, maintained...
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...George Washington the Leader A leader is a person who recognizes opportunities and takes the initiative to put change into motion. George Washington was one of the greatest leaders this world has even seen. Washington is known for being the founding father of the United States of America. He fearlessly led the America Revolution and later became the United States’ first president. George Washington was a strong leader and the vision that he had for the United States has carried on for over 200 years. Some of the things that made Washington a great leader were his vision for the country, his foresight, his ability to strategically plan out what needed to happen next, and his ability to successfully lead people (A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2013). George Washington the Manager A manager is a person who follows his or her leader, and can see how things are supposed to be structured in order to achieve the leader’s vision in turn creating value for the group as a whole. George Washington was not only a great leader but he was also a great manager. When Washington was a young man he fought in the French and Indian War, then during the American Revolution he became a national hero by leading colonial forces to victory defeating the British. At this time he was following the orders of his leaders, but his management of the troops is what made the efforts successful. His successful management techniques lead to him being elected president of the Constitutional Convention, and...
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...45th President of the United States of America, and he represented the first African American to ever win this office. To many the election was a fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream for social and political equality for African Americans. Still others, including the newly elected President, reached back to Lincoln. President Obama would also, invoke the founding fathers, giving credit to the social experiment that democracy is and thus hinting to the efforts of Washington and others. The days that followed the Obama election would be filled with symbolism leading to the concert on the steps of the Lincoln memorial, and the day of service, called by the President, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the day before inauguration. The election of President Obama seemed to have brought full circle the experiment of democracy. The dreams of the founding fathers were present, the echo of Lincoln’s consequential Presidency were present, and certainly the dreams and speeches of Dr. King were front and center in this cultural moment. Yet the cultural moment represented so much more than a continuum of ideas and dreams of significant men. This moment was one of the first major societal changes in a generation. Perhaps not Ironically, the election of Barak Obama had ripple effects upon social change in the United States and what came full circle on November 4, 2008 for the African American and minority communities would begin to happen for yet another oppressed minority...
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...If a survey was conducted that asked us the question of "name at least three founding fathers of The United States," we could easily come up with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, or Alexander Hamilton. Now if that same survey asked instead "name one defining characteristic of these founding fathers," or "describe in your own words the significance of these individuals," we would get various responses. Despite the randomness of answers we would receive on such a survey, a common consensus could be reached about America's Founding Fathers, that is these individuals were great figures in our nation's history. The role they played in the 18th century to establish the basis for a nation that would continue to grow for centuries was significant....
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...States victory over the British in the American Revolution stated with the idea to stand up for the rights of man, and to voice their opinions to the monarchy that ruled the colonist from across the sea. Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine wrote about independence from British, and diplomats such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson helped the Continental Congress start to challenge the oppressive British rule. The great leader of the Continental Army George Washington was the man who was responsible for leading the army to victory. The political challenges in the revolutionary war political, British government raised revenue to help cover the cost of the French and Indian war by taxing the colonies with the Stamp Act of 1765. The British thought it was fair to issue the tax on the people it spent all the money to protect. However, the speech in March of 1775 by Patrick Henry who said, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" encouraged the colonist to stand up for their rights. The British later repealed the acts, to try and appease the unrest in the colony. However, the British still needed money to pay their war debt, so the Townshend Tariffs of 1767 placed a tax on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea imported into the colonies. Again, the colonist were unhappy, so in...
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...APUSH Study Guide 8 A weak Confederacy and the Constitution, 1776-1790 Themes/Constructs: The federal Constitution represented a moderately conservative reaction against the democratilizing effects of the Revolution and the Articles of Confederation. The American Revolution was not a radical transformation like the French or Russian revolutions, but it produced political innovations and some social change in the direction of greater equality and democracy. The American Revolution did not overturn the social order, but it did produce substantial changes in social customs, political institutions, and ideas about society and government. Among the changes were the separation of church and state in some places, the abolition of slavery in the North, written political constitutions, and a shift in political power from the eastern seaboard toward the frontier. The first weak government, the Articles of Confederation, was unable to exercise real authority, although it did successfully deal with the western lands issue. The Confederation’s weakness in handling foreign policy, commerce and the Shays Rebellion spurred the movement to alter the Articles. Instead of revising the Articles, the well-off delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a charter for a whole new government. In a series of compromises, the convention produced a plan that provided for a vigorous central government, a strong executive, the protection for property, while still upholding republican...
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