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Revolutionary Spies and Lies!

From 1775 to 1783, Americans fought for freedom against the British in the Revolutionary War. Most American and British soldiers were loyal to their side, but not all. Some secretly worked for the other side, a betrayal known as “treason.”

American General Benedict Arnold was famous for his attacks against the British at Quebec, Saratoga, and other places. Even George Washington thought Arnold was a hero. But Arnold began to secretly plot against America to help the British.

Arnold wrote letters with invisible ink and secret codes telling the British about the American plans. Arnold asked the British to pay him to help capture or kill George Washington and attack West Point, an important fort guarding the Hudson River. If the British controlled the Hudson, they could split the thirteen colonies apart and likely win the war.

A British officer—Major John André—met secretly with Benedict Arnold in Haverstraw, New York, on September 22, 1780. Arnold told André how he could help the British attack both the fort at West Point and George Washington. André hid papers with handwritten plans from Arnold in his boots. On his way back to British headquarters in New York City, André was captured by three American soldiers in Tarrytown. His boot papers were discovered in time to prevent the attack on West Point and any danger to Washington.

Because André was captured, the papers in his boots were not delivered to the British. Benedict Arnold, however, escaped to the British.

Many Americans know the name of George Washington and others who fought in the Revolutionary War. Now you also know the name of an American traitor—Benedict Arnold.

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Did You Know?

  • The letters that Arnold and André sent in invisible ink were marked with an “F” or “A.” “F” meant to hold the letter close to a hot candle or fire to make the invisible words appear. “A” meant to brush the letter with a special solution to reveal the hidden writing.
  • After meeting with Arnold, André expected to quickly sail back to New York City on the ship Vulture. Instead, he had to go overland through Westchester County because the Vulture sailed away after being fired on by American cannons.
  • There were hundreds, maybe thousands of spies on both sides—American and British— during the war, making it very hard to know who could be trusted.

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Places to Visit

West Point Museum, West Point, New York. Visit this historic fort and see many artifacts from the Revolutionary War Era.
history.army.mil/museums/IMCOM/west Point/index.html

André Captors Monument, Tarrytown, New York. Visit a monument near the spot where André was captured.
hmdb.org/m.asp?m=8608

76 House, Tappan, New York. This historic home is where André was held prisoner. It is now a restaurant.
76house.com