Shadows of Disharmony

A young man in 1790 Massachusetts, Calvin Griffith is proud of being a nephew of Wilson Griffith, a U.S. Congressman. With the Congressman being one of the signers of the new U. S. Constitution, his nephew hopes he can serve in office many years. However, Calvin unintentionally destroys his uncle's politcal career through flashing Wilson's Anti-Federalist opponent an obscene hand gesture. News of the act spreads quickly, and as a result, Wilson gets voted out of office, never to serve as a Congressman again. Embarrassed over the affair causes Calvin to move to Plattsburg, New York, where J.W. Griffith, one of his two brothers, eventually joins him. Instead of renewing their close relationship, though, the two brothers have a falling-out because of bad blood existing between their French wives. With J.W.'s wife, Melissa, keeping the feud between him and Calvin going, the two brothers become faced with a prospect of tragedy befalling one of them before reconciliation can occur between them.