58 pages • 1 hour read
1776
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Key Figures
George Washington
George Washington, a Virginian, was a self-made man, like so many men in the New World, and he was a born leader. What little military experience he had came from books. Prior to leading the Continental Army, he was a slave-owning planter—or he became one due to his marriage to Mary Washington Custis, a wealthy widow from Williamsburg. An orphan, his first real vocation was that of surveyor. For a man who navigated the privileged world with ease, Washington had remarkably little education. He was particularly interested in architecture and décor. As a general, Washington’s edge was largely that he studied his enemy carefully and did not make moves without careful consideration. Another of his strengths was finding reliable, talented, trustworthy men to help him strategize and plan.
King George III
King George is given a remarkable portrait in this text. His attitude toward the rebellious colonies is the first impression the reader gets. He treated them like schoolchildren who would earn a spanking if they did not correct their behavior and apologize. In discussing what was to be done about the rebellion with Parliament, George always emphasized that when the colonies come back into the fold, he would welcome them with open arms. Whether one sees this as patronizing or generous depends on how one reads history. George has many noble qualities, including a taste for the simple life, love for his wife, and genuine concern for his country. His depiction in 1776 is less critical than other in others, as history typically focuses on his volatile temperament, which stemmed from considerable health problems.
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was one of the greatest revolutionary heroes and a close friend of George Washington. The two had much in common, as Greene was also a self-made man. The son of a well-to-do tradesman Quaker who did not seem to be a traditional pacifist, Greene never received a formal education. However, he bought books and educated himself through his swift intellect; his favorite books focused on battle strategies. Upon entering the Continental Army, he had no battle experience, but he went on to help Washington plan some of the most important battles. His record has only one blemish: the disastrous Battle of Fort Washington.
Henry Knox
One of 10 sons of a Scotch Irish couple from Boston, Henry Knox was tall, large, and bulky. He lost the third and fourth fingers of his left hand in an accident. Like Greene and Washington, he was largely self-educated, but he did not just buy books, he bought an entire bookstore where prominent Tories, John Adams, and others frequently shopped or gathered. Nathanael Greene was another one of his patrons, and their shared love of all things military made them fast friends. Knox also became one of Washington’s favorites, and he spent much of his time during 1776 strategizing over the war.
William Howe
William Howe was the astute British military commander who led the British forces against the colonists during the American Revolution. Educated at Eton, he was reputed to be an illegitimate relative of the king. He was a talented military man who also served during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years’ War. He is a crucial figure in the American Revolutionary War because he planned nearly all the early campaigns against the rebels. However, he resigned from his position in 1777 and retired to England in 1778, several years before the war’s end in 1783.
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