Best-selling author David McCullough, born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, on July 7, 1933, is a two time Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner. The renowned historian attended Yale University where he was influenced to become a writer after meeting author, Thornton Wilder. His first book The Johnstown Flood became an unanticipated best seller and inspired him to leave his job as an editor and pursue writing as a full time career. One of McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize awards was for honoring his biography of John Adams. His extensive knowledge and research of individuals in the era of the American Revolution inspired him to go on and write 1776. Contrary to his usual detailed biographies, 1776 is a historical and in-depth account of the events that led up to, and shaped the Revolutionary War. McCullough provides intriguing and unbiased accounts from both the American and the British side.…show more content… The latter of which was deemed a victory for the British, but resulted in over one thousand English casualties. King George III deemed the colonies to be in open rebellion at this point, which heavily influenced his desire to declare war against the colonies. Parliament passionately debated whether this was the right decision. Many thought it was, but surprisingly many opposed it. Lord Mayor of London, John Wilkes, and Whig, Edmund Burke “had voiced ardent support for and admiration of the Americans” (6). McCullough also describes a letter by a British Officer in Boston, published by a London newspaper. The Officer’s letter summarily states that if those in England who wished war against the colonies could witness America themselves, they would decide to do otherwise. This underlined the stark difference in opinions of Englishmen in England, and of those in America. Nonetheless, Parliament eventually agreed that the perceived rebelliousness of America had to be quelled one way or
