During the American Revolution, there were several sneaky attempts by ambitious men, in Congress and in the Continental Army, to have George Washington removed from his position as commander and replaced by someone else. As a direct descendant of Horatio Gates, who was the one most often mentioned as the leader of the cabal to replace Washington, you’ve always wondered what would have happened if YOUR ancestor had been in charge instead of George Washington. You’re writing a novel about an alternate history where that is exactly what happens, and one of the first chapters is about how the cabal convinced the Continental Congress to replace Washington with Gates.