This volume is divided into three sections, each exploring one of the era's dominant themes, from the military men to life on the homefront, to the people who sought to mould an American national character.

No simple rubric comes easily to mind when one thinks of the Revolutionary generation. Their accomplishments were too grand, their interests too varied to be encompassed in a single phrase. This book reflects their concern with the fundamentals of society and government and also explores the lives of individuals who contributed to science and the arts. Risjord divides this book into three sections, each exploring one of the era's dominant themes.