DeRose tells the never-before-told story of the 1789 congressional election in Virginia's 5th district and of the two men who fought it: James Madison and James Monroe. They were friends and political allies for most of their lives, but their paths diverged when they found themselves at odds with each other in the battle over the Constitution.

Prologue : Opening days -- 1. The last days of the colony of Virginia -- 2. The soldier and the statesman -- 3. The world turned upside down -- 4. The in-between days -- 5. The tedious sessions -- 6. Madison and Monroe -- 7. A prayer for America -- 8. The Annapolis disaster and the road to Philadelphia -- 9. Great expectations -- 10. A rising or a setting sun? -- 11. The battle of Shockhoe Hill -- 12. The race for ninth -- 13. The terrible session -- 14. The first election -- 15. The Federalist endgame -- 16. The "first man" of the House : passing the Bill of Rights -- Epilogue : The fourth of July.