Silas is a well-meaning but naive patriarch in his early thirties when the story begins. Given the title of Squire in his tiny village, he desires nothing more than to provide a financially secure future for his family. He purchases 75,000 acres of Tennessee land, firmly believing it will make his children wealthy, and relocates his family to Missouri to chase speculative ventures.

Beriah is a charismatic, eternal optimist who constantly dreams up get-rich-quick schemes. He easily convinces others to invest in his speculative ventures through his verbose and persuasive speech, even when he and his family live in poverty. He functions as the ultimate dreamer, relying on visions of future cities and impossible inventions rather than hard work.

Philip is an intelligent, well-educated young man from New York City who desires wealth and fame. Initially unwilling to start at the bottom of the career ladder, he relies on a sense of entitlement rather than practical effort. He eventually dedicates himself to studying engineering and railroad science to prove his worth.

Washington is Silas and Nancy's oldest son, raised with the constant expectation that his father's Tennessee land will make him rich. This upbringing leaves him prone to dreaming rather than learning a practical trade. He relies on schemes and speculations, hoping to secure enough money to marry the woman he loves.

Laura is the adopted daughter of the Hawkins family, a beautiful and charming young woman whose worldview is shaped by reading romance novels. Feeling isolated in her rural Missouri town, she develops a desire for luxury, agency, and influence. She seeks to use her powers of fascination to gain agency and influence in Washington society.

Harry is a young New Yorker who cares deeply about his appearance and social reputation. Presenting himself as a man of affairs, he joins a surveying team out west despite lacking engineering knowledge. He frequently lies to exaggerate his own importance and quickly falls under Beriah's speculative influence.

Ruth is an eighteen-year-old woman raised in a devout Quaker community in Philadelphia. She actively resists the gender norms of her era, desiring to break free from social limitations by studying medicine. She seeks financial independence and a professional career, viewing these as essential protections against misfortune.

Senator Dilworthy is a staunchly religious Unionist politician who presents himself as a man of high moral fiber. He serves as a mentor to young people, inviting them into his political sphere in Washington, DC. His public advocacy often masks his participation in the normalized political corruption of the capital.

Alice is a young woman who becomes close friends with Ruth during their time at school. She provides steady, selfless support to those around her, including nursing the injured. She serves as an emotional anchor for her friends, though she harbors her own unspoken feelings.

Nancy is the devoted wife of Silas Hawkins, supporting his decisions even when they cause her intense anxiety. She possesses a sharp understanding of the flaws in speculative financial decisions but lacks the social authority to act on her insights. Her strict adherence to traditional gender norms prevents her daughters from seeking employment.

Clay is an orphan adopted by the Hawkins family during their migration to Missouri. Having lost his biological family to illness and poverty, he integrates seamlessly into the Hawkins household. He quickly assumes the role of financial provider when Silas's schemes fail, dedicating his wages to keeping the family afloat.

Eli is Ruth's father, a man who has left the strict confines of his Quaker faith community. Though he is supportive of his daughter's medical ambitions, he struggles with a dangerous compulsion to invest in risky speculations. He repeatedly funds dishonest associates simply to avoid their ill will.

Margaret is Ruth's mother and a devout member of the Quaker community. She strongly believes in traditional gender roles and views her daughter's professional ambitions as a dangerous rebellion.

Colonel Selby is a charming but deceitful military man who courts Laura Hawkins. He marries her, only to cruelly abandon her shortly after by revealing he already has a wife. His betrayal leaves a lasting impact on Laura's psychology and view of the world.

Mr. Bigler is a scheming railroad contractor who consistently extracts investment money from gullible associates. He knowingly defrauds investors and relies on emotional manipulation to secure funding for his failing projects.

Uncle Dan'l is an enslaved man traveling with the Hawkins family. When he first encounters a steamboat in the dark, he believes it is the Lord coming to take someone away. He represents the harsh reality of the Southern economy and its reliance on forced labor.

Aunt Jinny is an enslaved woman traveling alongside Uncle Dan'l and the Hawkins family. Her presence, along with Dan'l's, demonstrates the underlying moral corruption of the pre-war Southern society in which the Hawkins family lives.

Mr. Buckstone is the Chairman of the House Committee on Benevolent Appropriations. He attempts to use his political influence to flirt with Laura Hawkins, though he finds himself outmaneuvered by her strategic charm.

Louise is the teenage daughter of a real estate general in Hawkeye. She captures Washington's heart, inadvertently motivating his desperate desire to achieve wealth so he can be deemed worthy of marrying her.

General Boswell is a respected businessman in Hawkeye who employs Washington. He provides lodging and a modest salary, inadvertently introducing Washington to his daughter Louise.

Emily is the youngest biological child of Silas and Nancy Hawkins. She grows up watching her family's fluctuating fortunes and offers to find work in St. Louis when times get tough, though her mother forbids it.