The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

The First Conspiracy examines a previously untold episode from America's founding era: a secret plot against George Washington during the months leading up to the Revolutionary War. In 1776, an elite group of soldiers handpicked to serve as Washington's bodyguards were involved in a treasonous scheme alongside William Tryon, Governor of New York, and David Mathews, Mayor of New York, to kill the military's most important leader. The book traces how this conspiracy was discovered and reveals the cast of characters involved: leaders, liars, counterfeiters, and jailhouse confessors. It demonstrates how close America came to losing the Revolutionary War and illustrates Washington's character during this critical period. Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch draw on extensive research to detail how Washington defeated the most powerful military force in the world while simultaneously uncovering the secret plot against him in the days before July 4, 1776. The narrative also illuminates the origins of America's counterintelligence movement that eventually led to the modern CIA.