Henry Knox was an American military officer, politician, bookseller, and a Founding Father of the United States. Born in Boston, Knox became a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, serving as chief of artillery in most of George Washington's campaigns. When the war broke out with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, Knox and Lucy snuck out of Boston, and Knox joined the militia army besieging the city. His abandoned bookshop was looted and all of its stock destroyed or stolen. Knox was with Washington's army during the New York and New Jersey campaign, including most of the major engagements resulting in the loss of New York City. He narrowly escaped capture following the British invasion of Manhattan, only making it back to the main Continental Army lines through the offices of Aaron Burr. In 1777, while the army was in winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey, Knox returned to Massachusetts to improve the Army's artillery manufacturing capability.

Knox returned to the main army for the 1777 campaign. In June he learned that Congress had appointed Philippe Charles Tronson du Coudray, a French soldier of fortune, to command the artillery. Du Coudray's appointment upset not only Knox, who immediately threatened his resignation to Congress, but also John Sullivan and Nathanael Greene, who also protested the politically motivated appointment. Knox and the artillery established a winter cantonment at Pluckemin. There Knox established the Continental Army's first school for artillery and officer training. Knox was promoted to major general on March 22, 1782; he became the army's youngest major general. He and Congressman Gouverneur Morris were assigned to negotiate prisoner exchanges with the British. Congress finally appointed Knox the nation's second United States Secretary at War on March 8, 1785, after considering a number of other candidates.