The First Conspiracy Quotes

“As long as Washington and his army were out there somewhere, the British could never really win the war. As a leader, George Washington’s personal identification with the army became so complete that he himself became almost synonymous with them. They all suffered extraordinary setbacks together, again and again. They never had enough funds, enough provisions, enough supplies, enough officers, enough men. Washington was with them in the snow, in the mud, in the rain, in the sleet, in the ice. He dealt with the endless politics, the staffing, the funding, the organizational challenges. He slogged through countless problems with logistics, recruiting, weapons, food, sickness, and transportation. It never got easy, and he never gave up. This is why, looking back at the strange events of America’s first conspiracy—all taking place in the first year of a long, drawn-out war—the most momentous question is: What if the conspirators had actually killed or captured George Washington?”
― Brad Meltzer, The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

“In the last year and a half alone, the Patriots have created a confusing succession of ad hoc governing bodies in New York: First there was the Committee of Correspondence, then the Committee of Fifty, then the Committee of Fifty-One, then the Committee of One Hundred, then the Continental Association, now the New York Provincial Congress. Clearly, these people have no idea what they’re doing.”
― Brad Meltzer, The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

“After all, bragging and boasting aren’t honorable; what’s honorable is doing one’s duty and sacrificing oneself for a noble cause.”
― Brad Meltzer, The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

“The Congress is full of highly educated talkers who use ornate, flowery language. Washington never went to college. He speaks simply or, more often, he listens. As the other delegates compete to talk as much as possible, Washington exerts a gravity and power by withholding opinions. He has, as John Adams later puts it, the “gift of silence.” But when he does speak, the words have conviction.”
― Brad Meltzer, The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

“reputation for integrity and honor is something you can take anywhere, and it will never let you down.”
― Brad Meltzer, The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

“Intelligence. Cunning. Secrecy. These are the tools of war.”
― Brad Meltzer, The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington