It was imperative, then—both to their futures and the family’s—that they married well. But it was even more important that they married fast. And so, Mrs. Schuyler resorted to a strategy that had served her own mother well in times of need. She was throwing a ball.
-- Narrator. (Prologue)

Importance: During the Colonial period it was expected for daughters of prestigious families to marry men from a similar background. Mrs. Schuyler is having a ball to introduce her three daughters to wealthy suitors. However, her daughter Eliza meets Alex, an honorable man without a pedigree. Their meeting sets up the main conflict in the novel.

But, alas, there are military matters and there are political matters, and when the latter taints the former, the waters grow muddy. I’m afraid General Schuyler must fall on his sword, if not for the sake of the army, then for the sake of...
-- George Washington (Chapter 3)