The history of the United States of America is a rather complicated matter for study. It encompasses the development of this country and the European countries involved in the shaping of US Independence. The book by Fischer (2006) is one of the greatest accounts of American history from its roots as far as it is based not only on the author’s opinion but also on the research carried out by him and on the documenting of this research with numerous primary sources, maps, and paintings discussed in the following paragraphs. So, this paper will focus on the critical analysis of Washington’s Crossing by Fischer (2006) as a source of data on American history.
To begin with, Washington’s Crossing is the depiction of the formative years in US history when George Washington and his supporters won the country’s independence by brave fighting with the British Army and their French and German allies. The book itself is based on the documentary data retrieved from the primary sources and combines the features of a novel and a chronicle in itself. The title derives from the famous 1850 painting Washington Crossing Delaware by Emanuel Leutze. Although not the only heroic episode in the Independence War of 1775 – 1778, this scene became the embodiment of American patriotism. Other focuses of the book include the depictions of the New York losses suffered by the American Army and the wonderful recovery of the Washington troops that managed to defeat the best army in the 18th-century world – the British Army.
As for the book itself, it is a skillful and properly documented research, which, at the same time, is a comprehensible and easy reading for ordinary, not academic, people interested in American history. To a large extent, this is due to the clear, laconic, and intriguing thesis of the book. Recalling the history of the painting in the context of the historical affairs that conditioned its creation, Fischer (2006) states that “All of these things were beginning to happen on Christmas night 1776 when George Washington crossed Delaware. Thereby hangs a tale.” (Fischer, 2006, p. 6)
Thus, the thesis of the book is rather clear but, at the same time, it makes the reader interested in its development throughout the book. The thesis presented also promises a comprehensive discussion of the roots of American history. Considering the background for the thesis, the author examines the processes that the US society experienced before the above-mentioned crossing of Delaware took place. Fischer (2006) recollects the social diversity that the states of the country displayed before the threat of occupation emerged. Having arrived from various regions of England, like the East counties or the Western parts of the kingdom, people inhabiting the different American states had opposite views on politics and economy. It was only the charisma of George Washington, and the joint purposes the latter managed to explain to them, who coped with the task of uniting this diverse person into a strong and successful army.
Accordingly, the thesis of the book serves as both the indication of the further topic of the book and the transition from the background presented in the introduction to the very bulk of the historical information: “Of all the pivotal events in American history, none was more important than what happened on those nine days from December 26, 1776, through January 3, 1777.” (Fischer, 2006, p. ix)
Further on, how American history is presented in the book by Fischer (2006) is not a usual one. Aside from documenting his research, the author tries to make it interesting for ordinary people by presenting it in a form of a narration close to a novel. Moreover, the use of visual aids including numerous maps and paintings adds to the credibility and readability of the book. But the most
important point in this respect is the consideration of the major historical disputes and contentions presented in this book. Among them, Washington’s ability to overcome his social stratification views and communicate equally with the ordinary people, unite the diverse nation into a single army and make these unskilled warriors defeat the British Army can be mentioned: “It was a triumph of mind and will over material conditions by George Washington himself, his lieutenants, and most of all the sleep-deprived private soldiers who found the stamina to put one frozen foot in front of another.” (Fischer, 2006, p. 323)
As for the sources used by Fischer (2006), the primary ones including the letters and memoirs of George Washington can be mentioned along with such documentary accounts of the American and British armies on their performance in the battles of 1776 – 1777 as the letters by Balderston and Syrett (1975), etc. The secondary sources used include the biographies of Geoerge Washington, the research works on the American history by such scholars as Gephart (1984), Smith and Simmerman (1975), etc. The methodology of presenting these sources and synthesizing their data in his work is chosen properly by the author as the subsequent and chronological account of events supported by primary sources’ data and maps visualizing the points considered make the book a comprehensive and readable historical research.
Accordingly, the information presented in the book, and the manner of its presentation chosen by the author, is able to change the traditional view of the American history as widely taught in the educational establishments. Along with depicting the courageous deeds of the American soldiers, Fischer (2006) considers the background for those deeds, inquires about the reasons underlying this or that decision by George Washington or General Howe of the British Army, examines the controversy that accompanied the Delaware Crossing, New York and Princeton battles, and hardships faced by the American soldiers during those years: “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.” (Fischer, 2006, p. 140). Thus, making it easier for the readers to understand the events described, the author contributes to the development of both the American historiography and the public interest in the history of the USA.
To make the respective conclusion to this critical review, the book by Fischer (2006) is a brilliant source of information on the formative years and events in the American history. The book itself is structured in the way to provide for its readability for all the groups of readers irrespective of their academic knowledge and research skills. The clear and intriguing thesis makes the reader interested in the plot of the book, and the very body of the work satisfies this interested by presenting the comprehensive and properly documented account of the US was of Independence.
Works Cited
Fischer, David Hacker. Washington’s Crossing. Oxford University Press US, 2006.