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  • Essay / Spies of the American Revolution: Nathan Hale

    The Spies of the American Revolution turned the tide of the American Revolution in favor of the Patriots. In order to win this war, they would have composed mysterious messages with invisible ink, created hidden messages to uncover British plans, and reported what they learned. When Nathan Hale was arrested while trying to deliver a message, he saw people arrested and then killed for spying on the opposing side. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Nathan Hale was a spy for the Patriots, he was undeniably brave, but he was not a very competent or intelligent officer. It took only a few days before his suspicious questions attracted the attention of local loyalists, and he then blew his cover after a British promoter approached him in a tavern and posed as for another patriotic spy. Hale was arrested the next day and found incriminating documents buried under the soles of his shoes. Hale, the 21-year-old Patriot, faced the gallows with "gentle dignity" before reciting these brilliant words: "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." » Invisible ink was an early espionage technique, it helped the Patriots receive letters containing secret information that no one but themselves could understand. George Washington briefed his agents on the use of what was referred to as the "sympathetic stain", noting that the ink "will not only make... communications less exposed to detection, but will relieve the fears of those to whom could entrust their transport. George Washington said these words because it was the technique that only the Patriots could read and even if one of them was caught, like Nathan Hale, the Loyalists would not know what the letter. The soldier who received this letter placed the paper over a candle flame or provided it with a chemical reagent, such as sodium carbonate, that would reveal the invisible contents of the letter. Now, without this invention consisting of a chemical solution based on tannic acid, everyone would know what his battle plan was. The Culper Code Book was invented by Benjamin Tallmadge in 1778, to collect information on British unity and military plans in the New York area. The informants used false names and a digital codebook consisting of seven hundred and sixty-three digits representing words, names, and places to communicate their information. Developed by Tallmadge, the Culper Code Book proved essential in protecting the vital communications and identities of this important intelligence gathering group. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay on The Incident with Nathan Hale, The Invention of Invisible Ink and the Invention of the Culper Code Book by Benjamin Tallmadge. Nathan Hale, the very brave and unskillful spy, had been captured by Loyalists, then arrested and hanged. Invisible ink was a very useful technique that the Patriots had. This helped their spies obtain their information without the loyalists finding out. Now the Culper Code Book was used to gather information about British unity and military plans in the New York area. This is a valuable technique on the Patriots side.