Introduction
In "The First Conspiracy," Brad Meltzer uncovers a little-known chapter of American history that could have changed the course of the nation forever. This gripping account reveals the shocking plot to assassinate George Washington during the early days of the American Revolution. Far from the sanitized version of history we often learn, Meltzer exposes the gritty reality of colonial life, the brutality of British rule, and the precarious nature of the rebel cause in its infancy.
The book transports us back to 1775-1776, a time of great uncertainty when the very idea of American independence was radical and dangerous. We follow George Washington's journey from respected Virginia planter to leader of a fledgling rebel army, facing threats from both the mighty British military and traitors within his own ranks. Along the way, we meet a cast of fascinating characters - patriots and loyalists, heroes and villains - whose actions shaped the birth of a nation.
The Second Continental Congress
Our story begins in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, as delegates from the 13 American colonies gather for the Second Continental Congress. This was no ordinary political meeting - the very act of convening was itself an act of defiance against British rule. Just one month earlier, shots had been fired between British troops and local militias in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Now, the delegates faced a momentous decision: whether to go to war against the most powerful empire on earth.
The relationship between Britain and its American colonies had deteriorated rapidly over the previous year. King George III and Parliament had imposed ever-increasing taxes and restrictions on trade, sparking protests and unrest across the colonies. Britain responded with military force, further inflaming tensions. Meanwhile, Enlightenment ideas about liberty and self-governance were taking root in the American consciousness.
Despite the growing calls for independence, many delegates remained cautious about open rebellion. However, they agreed on one crucial point - the need to establish a unified colonial army that could defend against British aggression if necessary. This decision would prove fateful, as it set the stage for the emergence of a leader who would change history.
The Rise of George Washington
As the delegates debated who should lead this new continental army, an imposing figure stood out from the crowd - George Washington of Virginia. At 43 years old, Washington was already a veteran of the French and Indian War with extensive combat experience. His tall stature (over six feet in an era when the average man was much shorter) and quiet dignity commanded respect.
Unlike many of the other delegates, Washington was not college-educated and did not engage in flowery speeches. Instead, he was a man of few words who projected strength through his actions and convictions. When he did speak, it was with clarity and purpose. While others lobbied for the position of general, Washington modestly left the room during discussions of leadership.
His combination of military experience, commanding presence, and humble demeanor made Washington the unanimous choice to lead the continental army. This appointment would thrust him into the center of the brewing conflict and make him a prime target for those loyal to the British crown.
William Tryon: Washington's Nemesis
As Washington began organizing his new army, he was unaware that a dangerous adversary was plotting against him in New York. William Tryon, the British governor of New York, was a fierce loyalist determined to crush any rebellion against the crown.
Tryon had a history of brutally suppressing dissent. As governor of North Carolina in the 1760s, he violently put down protests by local farmers against unfair taxation. He used tax money to build an opulent mansion for himself while the people suffered. When the farmers (known as Regulators) continued to resist, Tryon's forces massacred them and subjected their leaders to gruesome executions.
Now in New York, Tryon saw Washington and the continental army as grave threats to British control. He began devising a plan to undermine the rebel cause through bribery, deception, and ultimately, assassination. The stage was set for a shadowy conflict that would unfold alongside the military battles of the Revolution.
A War of Shifting Loyalties
As Washington worked to build up his forces and challenge British control of Boston, he faced a unique challenge. Unlike in conventional wars between nations, the lines between friend and foe were blurry in this conflict. Loyalties were constantly shifting based on personal interests, family ties, and changing circumstances.
Even within Washington's own army, allegiances were uncertain. Two of his top generals, Charles Lee and Horatio Gates, were British-born and had previously served in the English military before switching sides. Meanwhile, many colonists remained loyal to Britain or were willing to support whichever side seemed most likely to prevail.
This created an atmosphere of suspicion and intrigue. Spies and informants operated on both sides, and even family members could find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. The wife of British General Thomas Gage was suspected of passing military secrets to her patriot brothers.
For Washington, this meant that the enemy was not just the redcoats across the battlefield - traitors and conspirators could be lurking within his own ranks. This paranoia would soon be justified as Governor Tryon's plot began to take shape.
Tryon's Conspiracy Takes Shape
In March 1776, after Washington successfully drove British forces out of Boston, attention turned to New York. Both sides recognized the strategic importance of the city, and a showdown was imminent. Governor Tryon, however, was not content to wait for the British military to arrive. He hatched a bold scheme to cripple the rebel cause from within.
Tryon's plan was twofold: First, he would bribe as many of Washington's soldiers as possible to switch sides when the British attacked. Second, and more audaciously, he plotted to have Washington himself kidnapped or assassinated. Without their charismatic leader, Tryon believed the rebellion would quickly crumble.
To implement his plan, Tryon relied on a network of loyal conspirators in the city. Chief among them was Gilbert Forbes, a gunsmith who acted as a go-between, ferrying money and messages from Tryon's ship in the harbor to potential turncoats in Washington's army.
Forbes and his associates managed to bribe over 100 continental soldiers to betray their comrades when the time came. Most alarmingly, they successfully turned several members of Washington's personal guard, known as the Life Guards. These were the men entrusted with protecting the general's life - and now some planned to take it.
A Chance Discovery
As elaborate as Tryon's conspiracy was, it was ultimately undone by a stroke of luck and a loose tongue. On June 15, 1776, a counterfeiter named Isaac Ketcham found himself sharing a jail cell with two continental army soldiers who had also been arrested for forgery. To Ketcham's astonishment, the men began boasting about their involvement in a plot against George Washington.
The soldiers revealed that they were not just ordinary troops, but members of Washington's Life Guards who had been bribed to turn against him. Sensing an opportunity to save himself, Ketcham immediately wrote to the New York Provincial Congress (a pro-independence body) offering to share what he had learned.
When Ketcham testified before the Congress two days later, the magnitude of the conspiracy began to emerge. The two soldiers were identified as Michael Lynch and Thomas Hickey. While many details remained murky, it was clear that a serious plot against Washington had been narrowly averted.
Justice and a Warning
In the aftermath of Ketcham's revelation, Thomas Hickey became the focus of the investigation and subsequent trial. The courts made a significant ruling - for the first time, treason was defined as a crime against America rather than against Britain. This legal shift reflected the growing sense of American identity and sovereignty.
On June 28, 1776, Thomas Hickey was hanged before a crowd of 20,000 people in New York City. This was the largest public execution in American history up to that point. The authorities intended it to send a clear message: betraying George Washington and the cause of independence would be met with the harshest punishment.
While Hickey paid the ultimate price, many questions about the full extent of the plot remained unanswered. How close had the conspirators come to actually kidnapping or killing Washington? How many others were involved? The general himself likely pondered these questions as he prepared to face the British army in New York.
The Aftermath and Legacy
The exposure of the assassination plot marked a turning point in the American Revolution. It highlighted the precarious position of the rebel cause and the very real dangers facing its leaders. For George Washington, the experience likely reinforced his cautious nature and heightened his vigilance against internal threats.
The conspiracy also demonstrated the commitment of loyalists like William Tryon to preserving British rule by any means necessary. It showed that the conflict was not just a conventional war, but a multifaceted struggle involving espionage, propaganda, and covert operations.
In the broader context of American history, the First Conspiracy represents a critical moment when the fate of the nation hung in the balance. Had Tryon's plot succeeded in eliminating Washington, the entire course of the Revolution - and indeed world history - might have been altered. The fledgling United States may never have come into being.
Instead, Washington survived to lead the continental army to eventual victory and become the first President of the United States. His steady leadership during the war and in the early years of the republic was crucial in establishing the stability and legitimacy of the new nation.
The Challenges of Building a Nation
The events described in "The First Conspiracy" illuminate many of the challenges facing the American colonies as they moved toward independence. Beyond the military conflict with Britain, the rebel leaders had to contend with:
Divided loyalties: As the book shows, many colonists remained loyal to Britain or were uncertain about which side to support. Building a unified national identity would be a long process.
Lack of institutions: The colonies had to create new governmental and military structures from scratch, often improvising as they went along.
Economic constraints: Funding the war effort and establishing a new nation placed enormous strain on the colonial economy.
Internal security: As the plot against Washington demonstrated, the rebel cause was vulnerable to sabotage and betrayal from within.
Ideological debates: While united against British rule, the colonists had varying visions for what an independent America should look like.
These challenges would persist long after the Revolution, shaping the political debates and development of the United States in its early years.
The Human Drama of Revolution
One of the most compelling aspects of Meltzer's account is how it brings to life the human drama of the American Revolution. Far from the sanitized version often presented in textbooks, we see a world of complex motivations, difficult choices, and high-stakes intrigue.
The book highlights how ordinary people were swept up in extraordinary events:
- Soldiers in Washington's army weighing their loyalty against the temptation of British bribes
- Spies and informants risking their lives to pass along crucial information
- Political leaders debating monumental decisions that would shape the future of a continent
- Civilians caught between competing factions and uncertain where to place their allegiance
We're reminded that the people making history were not mythical figures, but flawed human beings grappling with unprecedented circumstances. Their courage, doubts, ambitions, and fears all played a role in determining the outcome of the conflict.
George Washington: The Man Behind the Myth
Central to the story is George Washington himself. While later mythologized as the "Father of His Country," Meltzer's account shows us Washington as he was in 1776 - a capable but uncertain leader taking on an enormous responsibility.
We see Washington's strengths that made him the unanimous choice to lead the continental army:
- His imposing physical presence and dignified bearing
- His experience and competence as a military commander
- His ability to inspire confidence in others
- His sense of duty and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good
But we also glimpse his vulnerabilities:
- His awareness of his own limitations, particularly his lack of formal education
- The immense pressure he felt as the fate of the revolution rested on his shoulders
- His struggle to build an effective fighting force from a ragtag group of colonial militias
- His constant vigilance against threats both external and internal
This more nuanced portrait helps us understand why Washington was so crucial to the success of the American cause. His combination of strength and humility, courage and caution, was exactly what was needed to navigate the perilous early days of the revolution.
The Role of Chance in History
Another fascinating aspect of the story is how much of it hinged on chance occurrences. Consider:
- If the Second Continental Congress had chosen a different commander, how might events have unfolded?
- What if Isaac Ketcham hadn't happened to share a cell with the boastful conspirators?
- How close did Tryon's assassins come to actually reaching Washington?
These "what if" scenarios remind us that history is not predetermined. Small twists of fate can have enormous consequences, altering the destinies of nations and individuals alike.
It's sobering to consider how close the American experiment came to being snuffed out before it truly began. The survival of Washington and the rebel cause was by no means assured. This perspective can give us a greater appreciation for the fragility of democratic institutions and the importance of civic vigilance.
Espionage and Covert Operations
"The First Conspiracy" also offers a glimpse into the shadowy world of 18th-century espionage. While lacking the high-tech gadgetry of modern spycraft, the basic elements of intelligence gathering and covert operations were very much in play during the Revolution:
- Networks of informants passing messages and gathering information
- The use of codes and ciphers to protect sensitive communications
- Double agents playing both sides of the conflict
- Disinformation campaigns to mislead the enemy
Both the British and the rebels engaged in these tactics, trying to gain any advantage they could in the intelligence war. The book shows how crucial these behind-the-scenes efforts were to the larger military and political struggle.
For Washington, managing this clandestine conflict was a new challenge. He had to learn quickly how to protect sensitive information, root out spies and traitors, and use intelligence to inform his military strategy. These skills would serve him well throughout the war and his presidency.
The Brutality of Colonial Conflict
While focused primarily on the conspiracy against Washington, the book also provides glimpses of the often-brutal nature of colonial warfare and governance. The actions of William Tryon in North Carolina - massacring protestors and subjecting captured leaders to gruesome executions - illustrate the harsh measures used to maintain British control.
Similarly, the public hanging of Thomas Hickey shows that the rebel side was also willing to use violence to send a message. The large crowd that gathered to watch the execution speaks to the different sensibilities of the time regarding public punishment.
These episodes serve as a reminder that the American Revolution, for all its lofty ideals, was a bloody and vicious conflict. The high-minded rhetoric about liberty and self-governance coexisted with the harsh realities of 18th-century warfare and justice.
The Power of Ideas
Underlying the dramatic events recounted in the book is the power of ideas to shape history. The Enlightenment concepts of individual liberty, social contract theory, and self-governance had taken root in the American colonies. These abstract principles motivated people to risk their lives and fortunes in defiance of British rule.
The book shows how these ideas were not just philosophical abstractions, but real forces driving human action. They inspired the delegates of the Continental Congress to contemplate independence, motivated soldiers to join Washington's army, and gave the rebel cause a moral force that mere military might couldn't match.
At the same time, we see how the loyalists were driven by their own deeply held beliefs about the legitimacy of monarchical rule and the importance of maintaining the British Empire. The conflict was as much a clash of worldviews as it was a military struggle.
This ideological dimension helps explain why the American Revolution had such a profound and lasting impact, not just in North America but around the world. The ideas it championed would inspire movements for democracy and self-determination for generations to come.
Lessons for Today
While set in the 18th century, "The First Conspiracy" offers several lessons relevant to our modern world:
The fragility of democratic institutions: The book reminds us how easily a fledgling democracy can be undermined by internal and external threats.
The importance of leadership: Washington's steady hand was crucial in navigating the early republic through dangerous waters.
The power of unity in the face of adversity: Despite their differences, the colonies came together to face a common threat.
The role of intelligence and security: Protecting sensitive information and guarding against espionage remain crucial for any nation.
The impact of individual actions: The choices made by key figures - both famous and obscure - had far-reaching consequences.
The ongoing struggle against tyranny: The conflict between authoritarianism and self-governance continues to shape global politics.
By understanding this pivotal moment in American history, we can gain insights into the challenges facing democracies today and the vigilance required to preserve hard-won freedoms.
Conclusion
"The First Conspiracy" offers a gripping account of a little-known but critically important episode in American history. By exposing the plot against George Washington, Brad Meltzer reminds us how close the American experiment came to failure before it had truly begun.
The book paints a vivid picture of revolutionary America - a time of high ideals and base treachery, of visionary leaders and shadowy conspirators. It shows us familiar historical figures as real people facing extraordinary challenges, making difficult decisions with uncertain outcomes.
Most importantly, it highlights the fragility of democracy in its infancy. The United States as we know it today was not inevitable - it required immense sacrifice, careful leadership, and no small amount of luck to survive its tumultuous early years.
By understanding this formative period in greater depth, we can better appreciate the foundations of American democracy and the ongoing effort required to preserve it. The echoes of 1776 - the tension between liberty and security, the threat of foreign interference, the importance of national unity - continue to resonate in our modern political discourse.
"The First Conspiracy" is more than just a historical thriller. It's a reminder of the price of freedom and the power of individuals to shape the course of history. In uncovering this long-buried plot, Meltzer has illuminated a crucial chapter in the American story and provided valuable insights for citizens of any democracy grappling with the challenges of self-governance in a complex and often dangerous world.