Founding Fathers & Founding Brothers

America's first truly contested presidential election took place in 1796, with John Adams and Thomas Jefferson vying to replace George Washington. In keeping with the standards of 18th-century American politics, neither man actively campaigned, and Jefferson even claimed not to know that he was a candidate.

Founding Brothers opens with a look at two of the many crises faced by George Washington during his term as America's first president. At a time when any conflict had the potential to dissolve the fragile union, Washington surrounded himself with brilliant men who were bound by their undying devotion to America, but often bitterly divided about how best to serve their common cause.

By 1776, the rebels would finally make their fateful, final break with Britain. One of those advocating this extreme step was a young Virginia planter named Thomas Jefferson.

After the final defeat of British forces in Yorktown, the 13 colonies found themselves in a unique and frightening situation: building a new, democratic nation with no money, few allies and no blueprint of how to proceed. The revolution's savior would turn out to be the shy, studious James Madison, the father of the Constitution.

In the aftermath of heavy British tax levies and the shock of the Boston Massacre, the situation in the American colonies grew more incendiary. Helping to fan the flames was the eloquent orator Patrick Henry, who rose from backwoods obscurity to marry into money and make the first open "call to arms.

The birth of American democracy was attended by an extraordinary cast of characters, drawn from every level of colonial society. They brought to the cause of independence a dazzling array of talents and genius -- and an equally noteworthy range of personality flaws and defects.