Book excerpt: This volume, the second in a series of biographical sketches of students who attended the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University), brings the story of the College and its alumni to the beginning of the American Revolution. It records not only the contributions of the early sons of Nassau Hall to the formation of the Republic but also the role of the College itself as a major component in the evolution of the first national elite. Originally published in 1981. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.