Blood of Tyrants sheds light on surprising aspects of our Founding Fathers’ approach to governing an America at war and shows the relevance to some of our most contentious policy debates. Delving into forgotten—and often lurid—details of the Revolutionary War, Logan Beirne focuses in particular on George Washington’s actions as the nation’s first commander in chief, who set enduring precedents while he forged the meaning of the United States Constitution in the heat of battle.Key episodes of the American Revolution illustrate how the founders dealt with thorny wartime issues: Should Americans inflict harsh treatment on enemy captives for military purposes? Who decides war strategy? How should justice be meted out in wartime? What happens to citizens’ rights when the nation is struggling to defend itself? Beirne finds evidence in little-known documents such as General Washington’s letters debating the use of torture, an eyewitness account of the military tribunal that executed a British prisoner, and communications pointing to a power struggle between the general and the Continental Congress.Vivid stories from the Revolution are framed by a discussion of Washington’s role in the drafting of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers saw the first American commander in chief as the template for all his successors: a leader who would fiercely defend American citizens’ rights and liberties against all forms of aggression. Blood of Tyrants fills gaps in our understanding of the presidency and illuminates our ingenious founders’ pragmatic answers to problems we still face today.