Johnny Tremain dominates the Lapham silversmith household through his talent and arrogance. We meet Cilla, Isannah, the lesser apprentices Dove and Dusty, and the aging Mr. Lapham. A lucrative order from John Hancock sets the plot in motion.

Rushing to finish the Hancock commission, Johnny works on the Sabbath against Mr. Lapham's orders. Dove secretly hands him a cracked crucible. The molten silver spills and burns Johnny's hand to the palm.

Johnny tries to find a new trade but his crippled hand bars him everywhere. His pride prevents him from accepting help. He steals food, grows bitter, and begins to lose himself.

Johnny is hired as a horse-rider by the Boston Observer. He meets Rab Silsbee, the quiet printer's apprentice who will become his closest friend. He is drawn into the Sons of Liberty.

Johnny settles into life at the Observer. The Observers — Boston's secret patriot group — meet in the attic. Johnny learns more about the tensions between colonists and the Crown. He begins to develop real political awareness.

The Boston Tea Party. Johnny and Rab participate in the raid on the Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver. Three hundred and forty-two chests of tea are dumped into Boston Harbor.

British retaliation: the Intolerable Acts close Boston Harbor. British troops quarter in colonist homes. Johnny encounters British soldiers, begins to understand the human face of the enemy, and navigates increasingly dangerous streets.

The Lyte identity mystery deepens. Johnny begins to understand his mother's history and his tenuous connection to the Lyte family. The political situation accelerates. Rab grows ever more committed to armed resistance.

Boston under military occupation. Johnny navigates the tightening British control, maintains his courier routes, and witnesses the growing resolve of the colonists — and the growing fear.

Events accelerate toward April 1775. Rab leaves Boston to join the Minutemen in Lexington. Johnny helps arrange Paul Revere's midnight ride. The lanterns are hung in Old North Church.

April 19, 1775. The battles of Lexington and Concord. Rab is shot on Lexington Green and dies of his wound. Johnny finds him among the Minutemen. The Revolution has begun.

Doctor Warren examines Johnny's burned hand and believes it can be repaired. Johnny — holding Rab's musket, ready to fight — accepts that the future will cost everything and decides it is worth paying.