Nathan Hale and John André: The Lives and Deaths of the Revolutionary War's Most Famous Spies

*Includes pictures *Includes quotes by both men about the war *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading For over 230 years, American schoolchildren have been taught about the story of Nathan Hale, or at least a legend of it, and in the process the myth of Hale and his possibly apocryphal final words have immortalized the young man as America’s most famous spy, despite his failed mission. After the siege of Boston forced the British to evacuate that city in March 1776, Continental Army commander George Washington suspected that the British would move by sea to New York City, the next logical target in an attempt to end a colonial insurrection. He thus rushed his army south to defend the city, but Washington’s army would ultimately be pushed west all the way through New Jersey the rest of the year. However, shortly before the colonists had to leave New York, Washington tried to implement intelligence operations around New York City, and one of the early spies was