"Your Affectionate Brother": Complementary Manhoods in the Letters of John and Timothy Pickering

Manhood in early America was not always about competition; it could also be complementary, especially in the case of brothers. This article examines the correspondence of Washington's Secretary of War, Timothy Pickering, and his brother John. Through their letters, the two men demonstrated manhood in radically different ways, seeking each other's approval of their performance of self-mastery, public service, economic independence, and care of family.