1776 & Poems Study

What is the primary focus of David McCullough's book 1776?

The military campaigns and struggles of the Continental Army in the year 1776.

Which major city do the British forces under General Howe target at the beginning of the book?

Boston.

What was a significant challenge faced by the Continental Army at the outset of the war?

Superior British naval power.

Who was the British commander-in-chief in North America during the events of 1776?

General William Howe.

What role did disease play within the Continental Army during 1776?

It was a major cause of casualties and debilitation.

What is a notable characteristic of McCullough's writing style in 1776?

Detailed narrative based on primary sources, emphasizing human experience.

What is a key difference between McCullough's approach to history and purely academic/theoretical history?

McCullough prioritizes narrative flow, character development, and readability for a general audience.

Which literary device does McCullough use when referring to the Continental Army's situation as 'saved by inches'?

Metaphor.

What literary device is seen in Wheatley's personification of America as 'Columbia'?

Classical Allusion.

Who was considered the first American traitor?

Dr. Benjamin Church

What did the first flag of the Continental Army look like?

13 red and white stripes, with the British crosses in the corner.

Which officer said, “We are not under the least apprehension of an attack on this place by surprise or otherwise”?

William Howe

Who was General James Grant?

A fat, Scottish British officer who supported abandoning Boston and heading for New York.

When did General Howe receive orders to head to New York, and how did he respond?

He received these orders at the beginning of winter, when it was too late. He remained in Boston.

Which literary device is exemplified in this excerpt about the bitter winter storms?

“This sort of storm is so severe that it cannot even be looked against, and by the snow freezing as fast as it falls, baffles all resistance– for the blocks become choked, the tackle encrusted, the ropes and sails quite congealed, and the whole ship before long one cake of ice…”
Focus phrase: choked, encrusted, congealed

Parallel Structure

What was the British army’s attitude towards the significance of Dorchester Heights?

Although they knew fortifications were important, and could decide the outcome of the war, they made no moves to fortify Dorchester Heights.

Describe the civilians remaining in Boston under siege?

About 4,000 civilians, mostly British Loyalists and the poor, half of whom were women and children.

How did British officers conduct themselves during the siege of Boston?

They appropriated public buildings like Faneuil Hall for entertainment, staging 'plays, assemblies, and balls' to forget the surrounding 'horrors of war'.

What critical resource was severely depleted in Boston during the siege?

Firewood

What innovative decision did Knox make to strengthen the ice for transport of artillery?

He cut holes in the frozen surface of the river, allowing water to freeze and thicken the ice. This made transport of heavy artillery safer.

What was a major difference between officers in the British and Continental armies?

British officers were mostly made up of older aristocrats, while the American officers were young and talented.

What crucial strategic advantage did Dorchester Heights possess?

It lay directly on the British water communications, seriously annoying the port of Boston.

What was the main reason for the British evacuation of Boston?

The threat posed by American cannon on Dorchester Heights.

What was the tone of 'Liberty Tree'?

Urgent and rallying

What was the primary reason Thomas Paine wrote 'Liberty Tree'?

To memorialize a famous 130-year-old elm tree near Boston Common that the British cut down.

In “Liberty Tree,” which entity brought the 'fair budding branch' to America?

The Goddess of Liberty, who arrived in a chariot of light.

What action does Paine urge the 'swains' to take in defense of the Liberty Tree?

He urges them to 'blow the trumpet to arms' and unite with a cheer in its defense.

What does 'Lexington' reflect upon according to the introductory notes?

The grim reality of the conflict contrasted with the beauty of the landscape.

What imagery is used to describe the setting before the battle begins in 'Lexington'?

The mist creeping o'er the meadow, the sun glistening brightly on dewy buds.

What message do the fallen soldiers murmur in 'Lexington'?

Tell to our sons how their fathers have died.

What was the ultimate effect of the battle according to the final stanzas of 'Lexington'?

Roused by the tyrant band, the battle 'Woke all the mighty land, Girded for battle, from mountain to main'.

What is the tone of "Liberty Tree"?

Urgent and rallying.

What is the theme of "The American Soldier" regarding the soldier's reward?

The gratitude of the republic and the honor of a free land.

How is the tone in chapter 4 of 1776 characterized?

Foreboding and ominous.

What warning did General Charles Lee give about defending New York?

That without command of the sea, New York could not be held.

Why did Washington refuse communication from General Howe?

General Howe refused to address him as his title 'General', showing disrespect.

What event did McCullough characterize as providing soldiers something larger to fight for?

The Continental Congress's Declaration of Independence.

What technique does chapter 4 utilize to contrast American leadership anxieties with British perspectives?

Juxtaposition.

What action signified American rejection of the King's authority in New York City?

American soldiers melted down the equestrian statue of King George III to make bullets.

What event involved the Mayor of New York and Washington's Life Guard?

A Loyalist plot to assassinate the Commander-in-Chief (Washington).

What were the living conditions in New York City after the Continental Army arrived?

The city was an armed camp with thousands having fled, and many fine mansions taken over for quarters.

Why was General Greene replaced by General Sullivan on Long Island?

Greene was reported dangerously ill, leading Washington to replace him.

What urgent warning did General Livingston convey to Washington?

A spy reported the British were about to attack on Long Island and up the Hudson.

In the poem "American Soldier", how is the veteran soldier described?

As 'a stranger now to arms' and 'Too poor to shine in courts, too proud to beg'.

What injuries does the soldier bear according to "American Soldier"?

Scars and a wooden leg.

What prominent location is mentioned in the poem to highlight the soldier's past glory?

Saratoga’s plains, a victorious battle for the Americans

What literary device emphasizes the veteran's plight in "American Soldier"?

Juxtaposition and contrast.

What ultimate paradox does Freedom grant her soldier?

Famine and a name (Poverty along with fame)

In “American Soldier”, what does the poet indicate about the soldier's weapons post-war?

They were sold due to his financial ruin.

What does the line 'too poor to shine in courts, too proud to beg' emphasize?

The soldier's noble character despite his poverty.

What is the ironic contrast presented in the final stanza of the poem?

The soldier has 'famine and a name' despite his contribution to Freedom.

What critical error did General Washington make that contributed to the American defeat at the Battle of Long Island?

He misjudged the British flanking maneuver.

What ingenious maneuver did Washington employ to save his army after the defeat at Long Island?

A daring nighttime evacuation across the East River.

What role did disease play within the Continental Army during 1776?

It was a major cause of casualties and debilitation.

Which term best describes the dominant tone McCullough employs when describing the state of the Continental Army during the desperate retreat through New Jersey in late 1776?

Somber, desperate, and suspenseful.

The theme of 'The American Soldier' focuses heavily on the idea that the soldier's only true reward is:

The gratitude of the republic and the honor of a free land.

What was General Henry Clinton's strategic plan that led to the British victory at the Battle of Brooklyn?

A silent, overnight flanking march through the unguarded Jamaica Pass to attack the American rear.

What natural event occurred on the night of August 21, 1776, seen as an omen before the British invasion?

A massive, stationary thunderstorm with continuous lightning and thunder over the city.

Which American general led a doomed counterattack during the Battle of Brooklyn?

Lord Stirling; he was captured.

What was General Howe's reason for halting the British advance on August 27?

He wished to avoid the high casualties of a frontal assault, remembering the lesson of Bunker Hill.

What factors were crucial to the success of the American evacuation from Brooklyn?

A favorable shift in the wind, the expertise of Glover’s mariners, and the timely arrival of a dense fog.

How did the Hessian and British soldiers perceive the American colonists' way of life after landing on Long Island?

They were astonished by the wealth, abundance, and fine furnishings they found.

In 'The British Prison-Ship,' what is suggested as a preferable fate to being captured by the British?

To die in battle, even if it means being 'cut to atoms.'

Despite the defeat at the Battle of Brooklyn, what was one positive outcome?

Washington and the core of his army survived to fight another day.

What reason does McCullough give for the American failure to guard the Jamaica Pass?

He cannot explain it; It is impossible to explain the oversight by the American command.

How does Washington's decision with the Jamaica Pass compare to the British decision in Boston?

Both decisions contributed to a need for retreat due to failing to secure critical locations.

Why were the Hessians particularly dreaded by the Americans?

They were German mercenaries known for their discipline and brutal effectiveness with bayonets.

When Lord Stirling was surrounded during the Battle of Brooklyn, what did he choose to do?

He surrendered himself to a Hessian regiment, refusing to surrender to the British.

How were American officers treated compared to regular soldiers when captured?

Officers were treated with courtesy, while regular soldiers were often verbally and physically abused.

How does McCullough characterize George Washington during the 'fiasco' at the Battle of Brooklyn?

Washington was a model of what he frequently preached, being 'cool but determined' under pressure.

Whose regiment volunteered to remain at the rear of the retreat from Brooklyn to maintain Washington's reputation?

Mifflin; as their leader was the one who proposed the retreat.

After the retreat from Brooklyn, what Shakespearean work does Alexander Graydon compare the quiet, stealthy night to?

A scene in Henry V, in which the night before a battle is arrayed with 'dread suspense'.

What literary device is used in 'The Wild Honeysuckle' when the speaker directly addresses the flower?

Apostrophe.

What is the central theme of the final stanza of Freneau's 'The Wild Honeysuckle'?

The transient and cyclical nature of life, where the brief existence is all that matters.

Which hardship is NOT explicitly mentioned in 'The British Prison-Ship'?

Even though conditions were very poor, torture for information about rebel plans does not occur in the poem

What daily event underscores the high mortality rate aboard the British prison ships in 'The British Prison-Ship'?

The carrying of multiple dead bodies ashore for burial in shallow graves.

What literary device does Philip Freneau primarily use to describe the flower's life in 'The Wild Honeysuckle'?

Personification.

To what does the speaker compare the flower's beauty to emphasize universality of decay?

The perfect but lost flowers of the Garden of Eden.

What is the central contrast in the first stanza of Freneau's 'The Wild Honeysuckle'?

The flower's delicate beauty growing in a 'silent, dull retreat'.

How is the medical care characterized for sick and dying prisoners in 'The British Prison-Ship'?

As a brief, violent, and torturous daily ritual by a doctor who seemed inclined to murder, not heal.

What force does Freneau invoke to ensure the 'horrid deeds' of the prison ships are remembered?

The voice of the poet's Muse.

What does Freneau recommend soldiers do if there is potential for capture as a prisoner in 'The British Prison-Ship'?

To fight until death, as death on the battlefield is preferable to the cruel treatment on British prison ships.

What tone does McCullough use to describe the Continental Army's retreat through New Jersey in late 1776?

Somber, desperate, and suspenseful.

What structural device does the phrase 'Listen, my children, and you shall hear' represent?

Anaphora, establishing a tone of intimate storytelling and mythical retelling.

What was General Washington’s famous reaction during the disaster at Kip’s Bay?

He lost control of his temper, flogged officers, and shouted, 'Are these the men with which I am to defend America?'

What were Captain Nathan Hale's famous last words before execution?

'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country,' adapted from the play Cato.

What metaphor does Joseph Reed use for the American army's situation?

'Between hawk and buzzard,' implying a precarious trap.

What narrative technique emphasizes the desperation of the Continental Army during the retreat?

Providing visceral details, such as the blood left on the frozen ground by shoeless soldiers.

What sound does the rhythm of 'Paul Revere's Ride' mimic?

The galloping of a horse.

What was the result of the surrender of Fort Washington?

The Americans lost 2,837 men as prisoners and massive stores of cannon and tools.

What highlights the embarrassment of General Charles Lee's capture?

He was caught in his dressing gown and slippers, separated from his troops.

How does McCullough contrast Washington's persona during the 'Long Retreat'?

He contrasts Washington's composed public persona with private letters expressing he was 'wearied to death.'

Which line from The Crisis summarizes the misery of Chapter 6?

'These are the times that try men’s souls.'

How do the tones of Chapter 6 and 'Paul Revere's Ride' differ?

The poem creates an inspirational American legend, whereas Chapter 6 explores military failure.

What signal was arranged between Paul Revere and his friend in the North Church tower?

One lantern if the British marched by land, and two if by sea.

What literary device does Longfellow use to describe the Somerset British man-of-war as a 'phantom ship'?

Gothic imagery to create a sense of dread.

What does the 'spark' struck by the horse's hoof symbolize in 'Paul Revere's Ride'?

The beginning of the Revolution that 'kindled the land into flame.'

What literary device is illustrated by the 'watchful night-wind' whispering 'All is well!'?

Personification.

What was the primary disagreement between General Washington and the Continental Congress on the withdrawal from New York City?

Washington believed the city should be burned to deny the British winter quarters.

Why does McCullough reference Circe in relation to Mrs. Murray delaying the British?

To highlight the romantic story that she used feminine wiles to charm and delay the British generals.