Throughout this tour, you might have noticed a pattern: each part you have visited has been a statue. But there are some statues that are not there that we think should be. There are other people who helped in the war, too. In this part I will talk about spies and how they helped in the American Revolution.
Part 1: All About Spies
Did you know spies hid messages in places that you would never imagine to look? In this chapter, I will tell you all about spies, such as what spies did and who were the most important spies in the American Revolution.
What Spies Did
Spies had an important role in the American Revolution. They were important because they collected a lot of information for their side. This job was not only very important, but also dangerous, because they could get caught. If they get caught by the other side, they could go to prison or even get hanged. When spies get information they memorized it, or they put it somewhere no one would ever imagine to look.
American Spies
Also there were a lot of spies that were amazing. One spy was Benjamin Tallmadge. He was born in 1754 and died in 1835 he was also a American politician, member of the House of Representatives of Connecticut. Another spy was Hercules Mulligan. He was a Irish-American and a spy in the American Revolution, and he was a Son of Liberty. Another spy was Abigail Adams, and she was born in 1744 and died in 1818. She brought letters from her husband and son who both became American presidents. Another spy was Phoebe Frances and she was born in 1763, and she was only 13 when she got her spy job. She helped her dad to protect George Washington from a plan to assassinate him. Another spy was Nathan Hale, and he was America’s first spy. He was also a soldier in the American Revolution. He died because the British hanged him. Another spy was Enoch Crosby, he was also a soldier in the revolutionary war. And last but not least the Darrah family, they were a family and all of them were spies.
One spy was Lydia Darrah, she was the mother and wife, she collected information about the British troops and then gave it to her husband, and he scribbled it in shorthand, on tiny bits of paper. Another spy was John Darrah, he was the younger brother, and he hid the messages inside the button of his coat. Then he put the coat on and he got out of Philadelphia, and went to George Washington’s camp. And the last spy was Lieutenant Charles Darrah, he is the older brother. His little brother cut off and gave the buttons with the messages inside to him, and he gave the information to Gorge Washington. They were all very important.
British spies
There were also British spies that were very important such as John André, he was also an English-major, and he died because he was hanged by Americans. Another spy was Anne Bates, she was a school teacher and she became a British spy. She dressed herself as a peddler, carrying a stock of needles, thread, combs, knives and medicine.
This all matters today because without spies America would probably not have freedom. Spies played a big role back then. In the next chapter you will learn how it was living as a spy.
Part 2: Living as a Spy
“You have to spy on the British,” my boss said. “ OK, and don’t worry, I already have all the supplies! “ I responded. I went near the British, I hid behind a big, fat, and tall tree and I tried to collect all the information I could. “ when are we going to attack sir?” I heard a British soldier say, I got closer. “ We will see now, let's practice!”
I thought I was going to find a lot of information today, but I guess not. All I know is that some time they will attack us because of all of our protests. I want to get closer but there are a lot of consequences if I do, but also if I don’t. if I get closer maybe I’ll get caught and maybe get hanged, but if I don’t I could get fired. But if I do get closer,and I don’t get caught I could get a lot of information, and know what to do and when to do it, maybe we will finally be free. OK, let me take a risk, like Patrick Henry once said, “ give me liberty or give me death!”
Part 3: Why Spies are Important
Did you know that spies are not only on the patriots, but they were also spies for the British, and many other countries. In chapter in chapter 2 I showed you how it was being a spy, but in this chapter I’m going to tell you why spies were important. I think spies were important because they collected important information, because they will know when the others will attack, or when they can attack, and mostly because they’re risking their lives for what they believe.
Information spies collected
One reason that I think Spies were important is because they helped collect a lot of information, they collected information like when they will attack or when they could attack, they could find passwords for something, they could find money, gold and other things that everyone wants. Once on Christmas Day spies, soldiers, and other Americans attacked the British and they didn’t notice because spies told the Americans, so they will know when is a perfect time to attack. They won.
They will know when the others can attack or when they can attack
Another reason that Spies were important is because they will know when the others will attack or when they can attack. When they know that information they will be safe. But it also depends on the time. If they were the ones attacking they could call troops of people and soldiers. Some spies on the other hand were traitors, they actually were spying on your side. You always had to be careful. Also armies used a lot of battle strategies. For example, they can attack when people are least expecting them to, such as on August 1, 1781 Cornwallis brings his soldiers to rest at Yorktown. Spies report it to Lafayette, so Lafayette tells George Washington so they could attack them. As a result, they were stronger, because they had more people, and the British had no idea.
They are risking their lives for what they believe
The last most important reason why spies were important is that they are risking their life for what they believe. It was a very dangerous job because if you got caught you would go to prison or even get hanged. That is important because you might die. It might be fun because you’re getting a lot of information for your side. But it's also very dangerous because, like Patrick Henry once said, “give me liberty or give me death!” So they are willing to risk their lives for what they believe.
This all shows that spies were important, because they collected important information, because they will know when others will attack or when to attack, and mostly because they’re willing to risk their life for what they believe. Spies are still important today because if America hadn’t collected this important information, the war would’ve never happened, and America wouldn’t be free today. In the next chapter I’ll talk about tools spies used.
Part 4: Tools Spies Used
A spy is buttoning his shirt and putting the message inside a button. Then he leaned down and pretended to fix his boot, but actually putting another message in his boot heel, he is now ready to go. Did you know that spies used everyday tools so the other side didn’t suspect anything? Last chapter I talked about why spies were important. In this chapter I’m going to tell you tools spies used.
Spies used a lot of tools, they used tools to hide messages or any type of information they get. You might be thinking that they used a lot of cool spy gadgets, but actually they mostly used everyday things. For example when they get information they’ll probably memorize it or hide it somewhere. They hide it in places like shoe heels, at least once inside a silver bullet, in coat buttons and more. Also they used cool spy materials too, but mostly everyday tools so no one will suspect anything. They use cool spy techniques like invisible ink, and codes. They use codes like one letter means another, because if the other side gets the message, they won’t be able to read it. As you can see, there were many ways to spy and secretly communicate.
These tools matter today because that’s how they gave each other secret
messages, which probably cause the war. I hope that now you know that the tools spies used were as important as themselves, and if they didn’t use them they would have never got all this information, that made America free!
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