John, an American Revolutionary War hero, returns to his farm in Western Massachusetts only to learn that a new conflict is brewing. Indeed, farmers like John are losing their property, and even their freedom, due to the depression that's arrived in the wake of war. While John is tempted into taking up arms against the powers that be, his wife, Deborah, senses her husband is being driven by more than just a sense of duty, that a deep secret may be leading the family to destruction.