ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

TO QUOTE SOMETHING GEORGE WASHINGTON NEVER said, “I cannot tell a lie.”

I cannot tell a lie: I loved working on this book. I loved surrounding myself with piles of books and maps and documents from the early days of the United States. I loved inviting the legends of history into my imagination as I read their letters, essays, journal entries, and teenage love poetry.

Any errors in this book are my responsibility alone. Any successes, on the other hand, are due in no small part to the diligence of my research assistant, Nicole van derMeer. I am grateful also to Traci McClean-Sorell and Adedayo Rhuday-Perkovich for professional insights with respect to race. Olivia Liu also assisted with research, feedback, and general professional support.

Several readers provided thoughtful feedback as I wrote: Bijou Desir, Christa Desir, Elana K. Arnold, and Zach Hayward.

I am deeply grateful to Jean Feiwel and Julia Sooy at Feiwel & Friends. They are visionary, supportive, and inspirational collaborators. Likewise, I am grateful to Raphael Geroni, Patrick Collins, Jennifer Healey, Alexei Esikoff, Raymond Colon, and Sherri Schmidt for their work in making this book a beautiful and enduring work. And thank you to my literary agent, Sarah Davies, for her excellence—even if she remains one of Her Majesty’s subjects.

To my Cupcake Royale crew; and to my family, for putting up with nonstop chatter about Alexander Hamilton; and especially to the McClures, who let me revise on their couch. And, finally, to Adam, Lucy, and Alice: you are my everythings.