I. The Pursuit of Happiness. The causes of a revolution -- Colonial living -- Hard acts and shocking ideas -- Invitation to a tea party -- II. Drumming up a War. The flame kindled -- Opening shots -- Green Mountain triumph and Canadian catastrophe -- Boston victory -- II. The Times that Tried Men's Souls. Washington the loser -- Washington the winner -- England's best-laid plans -- Philadelphia fiasco and Saratoga triumph -- The French connection -- Defeat and despair -- Spring and hope -- FIres in the wilderness -- Gone South -- Treason and mutiny -- IV. Most Glorious. Victory at sea -- Another shift to the South -- Yorktown: the world turned upside down -- The peace of Paris and a new order of the ages.

Dramatis Personae: John Adams -- Samuel Adams -- Ethan Allen -- John Andre -- Benedict Arnold -- Crispus Attucks -- Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais -- Daniel Boone -- Joseph Brant -- John Burgoyne (Gentleman Johnny) -- Guy Carleton -- George Rogers Clark -- Henry Clinton -- Charles Cornwallis -- Comte Francois Joseph Paul de Grasse -- Silas Deane -- Comte Charles Hector Theodot d'Estaing -- John Dickinson -- Benjamin Franklin -- Thomas Gage -- Joseph Galloway -- Horatio Gates -- George III -- Lord George Sackville Germain -- Nathaniel Greene -- Lord George Grenville -- Nathan Hale -- Alexander Hamilton -- John Hancock -- Patrick Henry -- Herkimer -- Hopkins -- Richard Howe -- William Howe -- John Jay -- Thomas Jefferson -- John Jones -- Kalb -- Henry Knox -- Knyphause -- Kosciuszko -- Lafayette -- Henry Laurens -- Arthur Lee -- Charles Lee -- Henry Lee ("Light-Horse Harry") -- Benjamin Lincoln -- Francis Marion ("Swamp Fox") -- John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich -- Daniel Morgan -- Robert Morris -- William Moultrie -- Lord Frederick North -- James Otis -- Thomas Paine -- William "The Elder" Pitt -- Casimir Pulaski -- Israel Putnam -- Paul Revere -- Baron Friedrich Riedesel -- Comte de Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur Rochambeau George Brydges Rodney -- Philip Schuyler -- Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben -- John Sullivan -- Banastre Tarleton -- Charles Townshend -- Charles Gravier Vergennes -- Artemas Ward -- Joseph Warren -- George Washington -- Anthony Wayne.