Popular accounts of the Revolutionary War frequently oversimplify it, making it seem as if American victory was preordained. However, the British frequently had the upper hand. As Washington camps at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78, the situation for the American army seems almost hopeless. The soldiers suffer severe hardships from cold, hunger, disease, and lack of supplies and clothes. The army separates itself into a distinct hierarchy with Washington at its head. Several notable personalities emerge at Valley Forge, including John Marshall, Baron Steuben, and the Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman who becomes a trusted friend and confidant of Washington. Washington survives a slander campaign orchestrated by Thomas Mifflin, a disgruntled former aide of his.

As the British launch an attack on the South, Washington dreams of ways in which France could help him win the war. At the same time, Washington’s political beliefs come into sharper focus. He longs for “extended powers at the national level” (127) that will enable him to obtain more money, supplies, and recruits for the army. To achieve this, he advocates vesting more centralized power in Congress instead of the state governments, which he believes are too much influenced by local interests.