1776 (Part II)

When Washington got to New York he was not sure where the British would attack or even if the British would attack the City. He divided his small army between Manhattan Island and Brooklyn on Long Island. (No Brooklyn bridge) the British sailed 400 ships into New York harbor. This was quite a site for a city of 20,000 most on the lower end of Manhattan Island. Brooklyn was mostly woods and country. The British landed near what is now Coney Island in lower Brooklyn and and in a surprise out flanked the American forces in Brooklyn forcing Washington to retreat to Manhattan by Boat with what was left of his army. The city could not be defended because the British Fleet controlled the sea and the rivers around Manhattan Island. Washington retreated to what is now Harlem and then on to White Planes. At each place he fought another battle and lost. Washington then retreated into New Jersey. The Americans had lost battle after battle and could not stand up to the British. The American army had been chased out of New York, it had poor and untrained officers and was it's number were dwindling down to a few thousand. The British offered an amnesty to those who had wanted independence if they would pledge loyalty to the crown.. Many American took the pledge. Even two member of Congress made the pledge. Washington's Army moved across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and Congress evacuated Philadelphia in fear of a British attack. Thomas Payne said "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."If the British had pressed on they could have crushed Washington's Army and won the war; but, they retired to New York for the Winter and left outposts of troops in New Jersey. Washington then crossed back over the Delaware River to attack a British outpost in Trenton New Jersey on the day after Christmas . He captured 900 Hessian troops and a "small victory" but it gave the Americans the hope to carry on the war. Thus ended 1776 both the year and the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history. I have read many books on the American Revolution but David McCullough brings it to life and doesn't gloss over the difficulties that faced Washington and those Americans who wanted independence. He also demonstrates that the English were well English. They may have been in part priggish but they were civilized and for the most part conducted themselves with honor and civility considering the nature of the other countries of the world at that time. In fact England with all its faults was probable the most democratic country in the world at that time. The Americans just took it to the next level. It would take us many years and a civil war to move it even further.