1776 by David McCullough

Bookfanatic · Sat Aug 27, 2011 9:37 am

In the beginning, I'm not a huge fan of nonfiction books. But my friend recommended 1776 as a interesting American Revolution book. I read it and I found it very descriptive. Although there were some parts that seem sluggish, overall it was very entertaining. It enlightened me how things weren't easy during the revolution and future generations will never fully comprehend the ordeals the patriots went though. Another intriguing portion of the book was when the signing of the Declaration of Independence wasn't a significant detail in the story. I would think it would at least be mentioned in more than just a paragraph or two. Anyway, I would like to hear other people's opinions and favorite quotes if you would like to share. I found a lot of meaningful quotes about Washington's character and was wondering if anybody else discover interesting quotes.

DWill · Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:43 am

Haven't read the book, but regarding the Declaration of Independence, it might be that from the perspective of the time, its signing wasn't so important an act. I read a small book of scholarly essays on the Declaration, and a couple of them try to put the writing and signing of what later became the iconic American document, in context. The war had already been going on for a year by the time the Continental Congress decided that a committee should draft a document formalizing the split with England. During that session of Congress, the Declaration seemed to be small "d", as matters of conducting the war took up more time and attention than this relatively less important matter.

Randy Kadish · Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:13 am

I also found the book inspiring. Yes, Washington made mistakes, but he kept learning, kept going, and that's why we became an independent nation.

Randy

R. LeBeaux · Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:00 am

For those interested in Washington’s life, I would recommend His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis. Drawn from numerous letters and other historical documents, it tells Washington’s story in an objective manner, showing both his flaws and qualities, without overtly making him into a hero. As for Washington quotes, there are far too many to include here, however, I did find this list of interesting facts on the Amazon page for the book:

1. The famous tale about Washington chopping down the cherry tree ("Father, I cannot tell a lie") is a complete fabrication.

2. George Washington never threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River--in fact, to do so from the shore of his Mount Vernon home would have been physically impossible.

3. George Washington did not wear wooden teeth. His poorly fitting false teeth were in fact made of cow's teeth, human teeth, and elephant ivory set in a lead base.

4. Early in his life, Washington was himself a slave owner. His opinions changed after he commanded a multiracial army in the Revolutionary War. He eventually came to recognize slavery as "a massive American anomaly."

5. In 1759, having resigned as Virginia's military commander to become a planter, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis. Washington’s marriage to the colony's wealthiest widow dramatically changed his life, catapulting him into Virginia aristocracy.

6. Scholars have discredited suggestions that Washington's marriage to Martha lacked passion, as well as the provocative implications of the well-worn phrase "George Washington slept here."

7. Washington held his first public office when he was 17 years old, as surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia.

8. At age 20, despite no prior military experience, Washington was appointed an adjutant in the Virginia militia, in which he oversaw several militia companies, and was assigned the rank of major.

9. As a Virginia aristocrat, Washington ordered all his coats, shirts, pants, and shoes from London. However, most likely due to the misleading instructions he gave his tailor, the suits almost never fit. Perhaps this is why he appears in an old military uniform in his 1772 portrait.

10. In 1751, during a trip to Barbados with his half-brother Lawrence, Washington was stricken with smallpox and permanently scarred. Fortunately, this early exposure made him immune to the disease that would wipe out colonial troops during the Revolutionary War.

The Amazon page is located at:

amazon.com/His-Excellency-Washington-Jo ... _916994_17

DWill · Sun Oct 23, 2011 5:19 pm

Another version of the tale in # 2 says that the river across which he threw the dollar was the Delaware. Here's what someone has to say about a possible factual basis for the feat:


	Quote: Did George Washington really throw a silver dollar across the Potomac River? Being quite capable of doing a feat of significant strength, George Washington was a large and powerful man. He stood 6 feet, 2 inches tall and in later life weighed more than 200 pounds. He wore large shoes (size 13), and stood with an erect military bearing. His face was long with high cheekbones, and he had a large, straight nose, a firm chin, and blue eyes beneath heavy brows. But alas, his famous coin toss is apparently not the whole truth. This popular myth is often told to illustrate his strength, but the river was not the Potomac (about a mile wide) nor was it the Delaware. Looking at his childhood homestead, perhaps it was the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, Virginia. According to myth, Washington threw a piece of slate, about the size and shape of a dollar, not a actual silver dollar. This account took place according to Martha Washington's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. While the story has never been verified, historians concede that the feat is a possibility. At the site of the Washington family homestead, the Rappahannock measures only 250 feet across, an impressive but not impossible throwing distance. Moreover, there were no US silver dollars available when Washington was a young man.

I still think there's not a chance that a 2" piece of flat slate could be thrown 250 feet.

I recently watched the HBO series "John Adams" and was interested in the portrayal of GW. His outstanding quality was described by Adams, his VP, as independence in judgment, enabling him to steer the country through some tricky waters early on, with many voices vying for his attention. He was also tall for that era, and in fact his impressive bearing contributed to his success.

R. LeBeaux · Sun Oct 23, 2011 5:49 pm


	DWill wrote: His outstanding quality was described by Adams, his VP, as independence in judgment, enabling him to steer the country through some tricky waters early on, with many voices vying for his attention.

Yes, this is all covered in the book; especially the way he managed a pretty volatile group of political appointees and continued to rely on some who blatantly betrayed him, understanding that, even though they caused him problems with their own political ambitions, they could still be of value to him in reaching his goals for the country. He was a fascinating figure; flawed like any human being, but impressive in his ability to understand and respect the talents of those around him, regardless of their attempts to attack him both personally and politically.

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