The Virginian leader of the Continental Army, portrayed as a figure growing in mythic status, whose leadership through difficult military campaigns helps to define the American Revolutionary cause.

A charismatic and eccentric former British officer who joins the American cause, known for his strategic mind and flamboyant personality, but whose overconfidence and poor judgment lead to a decline in influence.

A celebrated diplomat and scientist, his role in the narrative highlights the cultural rupture with Britain and his successful diplomatic efforts in France that were crucial to the American revolutionary cause.