Washington’s “debut as commander in chief” (75) is the Siege of Boston, in which his troops keep the British forces bottled up in the city for nine months, forcing them to retreat to Canada. Convinced that a volunteer militia cannot win a war against Great Britain, Washington lobbies Congress for a “permanent standing army” (99). Among Washington’s “aggressive proposals” (85) is a campaign to capture the city of Quebec. The battle, led by Benedict Arnold, is a disastrous defeat for the Americans, dealing a blow to some of Washington’s dearly held convictions about the war. At the same time, Washington shows foresight in instituting mandatory inoculation against smallpox among his troops.

Desiring a direct confrontation with the British instead of a defensive style of warfare, Washington moves his troops to New York City, putting them at an extremely vulnerable spot. Fortuitously, the British commander Howe decides to leave Manhattan and attack Fort Washington, allowing Washington’s troops, now severely reduced, to escape into New Jersey. The subsequent battles in Trenton and Princeton (preceded by a Christmas night traversal of the Delaware River) are a resounding victory for the Americans, boasting popular support for the war. 

Washington reluctantly persuades Congress to grant him temporary dictatorial power, partly in order to find more recruits to fill out his desperately depleted army.