INTRODUCTION
I. Attention-Getter: When most of us think of espionage, we tend to think of classic fictional characters such as James Bond.
II. Central Idea: The Culper Spy Ring and its unique members played a key role in deciding the final outcome of the American Revolution and, according to Brian Kilmeade, coauthor of George Washington’s Secret Six, may have been able to almost single-handedly change the course of the entire war. (Verbal Citation)
III. Motivator: The history of the Culper Spy Ring is fascinating, its story reading almost like a novel too impossible to be true.
IV. Credibility: I have been reading about the Culper Spy Ring since I was a little girl, and even have portions of the codebook memorized.
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I have done my own research on this topic over the years, getting to view some of the old documents in the process. V. Preview: First I will talk to you about the origins of the Culper Spy Ring, and then I will outline four of its key members. Finally, I will explain one of the spy ring’s little known major accomplishments. (Transition: Now let me begin with the origins of the Culper Spy Ring.) BODY I. The origins of the Culper Spy Ring are unique to the war, and those who know its story know just how much the Patriots had desperately needed a source of information in New York City and Long Island after the loss of the only spy in the area. A. George Washington’s overwhelming need for an effective spy ring in New York City and Long Island became quite clear after the hanging of spy Nathan Hale in September 1776. 1. Hale, an enthusiastic yet inexperienced individual, had lasted a mere three days in the British-held area before his capture and subsequent execution. 2. New York and Long Island were vital to the colonists. B. Washington spent the next year attempting to find the right people for the job before finally succeeding, when he commissioned a young officer named Benjamin Tallmadge, who was to orchestrate the ring. (Transition: Now that we’ve reviewed the spy ring’s origins, let us go over four of its key members.) II. The Culper Spy Ring’s key members consisted of only a small handful of people, all with unique positions and skill set that were invaluable to the spy ring’s successful operation. A. Benjamin Tallmadge, whom I mentioned earlier, was the head of the ring. 1. Tallmadge had been good friends with Nathan Hale. 2. He was only twenty-four at the creation of the spy ring, and was also in charge of hand-delivering information from the ring to Washington. B. Abraham Woodhull was recruited by Tallmadge essentially to recruit others and run the spy ring on the ground. 1. Woodhull was an old friend and neighbor of Tallmadge’s. 2. A confirmed bachelor and self-proclaimed “old man”, Woodhull was four years older than Tallmadge. 3. He knew every topographical feature of Long Island and had already been working as a smuggler prior to spying. 4. His codename was Samuel Culper, Sr. C. Caleb Brewster, the third member and an outspoken Patriot, was immediately recruited by Woodhull. 1. Brewster was a huge bear of a man, and used his intimidating size and athletic skill to make himself a regular nuisance to the British. He would taunt the British from his rowboat full of smuggled goods before escaping and hiding until patrols gave up. 2. Brewster served as a courier. D. Robert Townsend was the spy ring’s New York City operative, and the least likely spy of all of the members. 1. Townsend was reserved, bookish, and unassuming, the person everyone always forgot about. 2. The twenty-five year old agreed to join the new spy ring as “Samuel Culper, Jr,” after finally having enough of the way the opposing army treated the locals. 3.
Townsend worked as a reporter and was responsible for gathering information
within the city.
(Internal Transition: We’ve gone over four of the Culper Spy Ring’s key members, so
we can now delve into one of its major achievements.
III. Although the Culper Spy Ring was extremely successful and accomplished many impossible tasks, the spy ring’s protection of West Point and exposition of Benedict Arnold’s traitorous nature was easily one of its most important achievements.
A. The spy ring collected intelligence that pointed to a plot between Major John Andre, British General Henry Clinton’s chief intelligence officer, and Benedict Arnold that would result in the colonists losing West Point to the British. This would probably have crippled the colonists.
B. Thanks to the Culper Spy Ring’s information, Andre was intercepted before he made it to West Point, and Benedict Arnold was exposed as a traitor. West Point was kept safe and remained a major tactical advantage.
(Transition: We have completed this brief overview of the Culper Spy Ring’s origins,
members, and a major achievement; let us review.)
CONCLUSION
I. Summary: In conclusion, the Culper Spy Ring was a unique part of the American
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Revolution. A. The Culper Spy Ring was created after the death of Nathan Hale. Washington commissioned Benjamin Tallmadge to recruit his own ringleader and recruiter. B. Four of the key members were Benjamin Tallmadge, Abraham Woodhull, Caleb Brewster, and Robert Townsend. C. The spy ring’s efforts resulted in the protection of West Point and the exposition of Benedict Arnold’s traitorous activities.
II. Thesis Re-statement: The Culper Spy Ring and its unique members played a key role in deciding the final outcome of the American Revolution, and may have been able to change the course of the war.
III. Clincher: Without the help of the Culper Spy Ring, the colonies might well not have won the Revolutionary War, and the United States as we know it would not exist.
Bibliography
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Samuelson, Nancy B. "Revolutionary War Women and the Second Oldest Profession." Minerva II.2 (1989): 16. ProQuest. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
Discover Long Island NY. “The Culper Spy Ring: Path through History.” Online video. YouTube. YouTube, 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
GEORGE DEWAN, STAFF W. "LONG ISLAND: OUR STORY / A Ruse Saves the French Fleet / the Culper Spy Ring Foils the British by Delivering Critical Information to Washington." Newsday, Combined editions ed.: A15. 19 Jan. 1998. ProQuest. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
Kilmeade, Brian, and Don Yaeger. “George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution.” Penguin Group, 2013.
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Keegan, J. (2003). Local Knowledge: Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. Intelligence in war: knowledge of the enemy from Napoleon to al-Qaeda (pp. 66 - 98). New York: Knopf.
The American Revolution saw the rise of the American spy, and the father of these spies was George Washington, commander in Chief of the Continental Army. The siege of New York demonstrated the importance and dire need for intelligence to General Washington. Unfortunately, the difficulty, at least initially, lies with finding people willing and able to serve in this manner. Upon recognizing the necessity for a network of subterfuge, Washington created the Culper spy ring. Housed in New York City under the command of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge, its purpose was more than merely gaining intelligence.
Prior to the dispatch of September 24, the information which the Japanese sought and obtained about Pearl Harbor followed the general pattern of their interest in American Fleet movements in other localities. One might suspect this type of conventional espionage. With the dispatch of September 24, 1941, and those which followed, there was a significant and ominous change in the character of the information which the Japanese Government sought and obtained. The espionage then directed was of an unusual character outside the realm of reasonable suspicion. It was no longer merely directed to ascertaining the general whereabouts of ships of the fleet. It was directed to the presence of particular ships in particular areas; to such minute detail as what ships were double-docked at the same wharf….These Japanese instructions and reports pointed to an attack by Japan upon the ships in Pearl Harbor. The information sought and obtained, with such painstaking detail had no other conceivable usefulness from a military
Guilford, CT: Dushkin/ McGraw-Hill, 1997. Chiatkin, Anton. A. Treason in America. Washington DC: Executive Intelligence. Review, a review of the book, Divine, Breen, Frederickson, and Williams. America Past and Present.
The argument over Arnold’s place in American history has carried into this century. All the Americans relate George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson as their heroes, but there is a debate whether Benedict Arnold was a victim or a traitor. Arnold was a general during the American Revolutinary War, and he fought for the Continental Army. His name became synonymous with the word traitor. Benedict Arnold was a Revolutionary Hero that had a huge effect on succeeding in the war. He had motivated a lot of soldiers during the war with his victorious discourses, and battles. Determination could be one of the most important reasons why the Patriots won the war, and had a chance to create their own country. These days, kids are in school are familiar with Benedict Arnold as a hero, but the Congress at that time did not deliberate him as a hero. In fact, the facts are proving that Arnold looked like a traitor, but he was actually a victim of circumstances because he was not respected as much as the other generals, he had fought for the Continental Army, and lastly he had never thought of betraying to his country.
Benedict Arnold’s life was very hard from an early age. The question still remains though, was Benedict Arnold a hero based on his heroic actions or a traitor based on his treachery act?
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One of the most notorious names in history is Benedict Arnold, an American Revolutionary War leader, who is known for being the “traitor to his country.” Yet, without his courageous and heroic deeds in the fight against the British, the Americans may have not gained freedom. In Saratoga, New York, a monument is dedicated to Arnold’s contribution to the victory of the Battle of Saratoga; however, there is no name on the monument. Biographer James Kirby Martin once said, “The tragedy of Benedict Arnold is that his incredible acts … have been washed away and basically forgotten.” Although Benedict Arnold was once a respected and admirable leader of the Americans, he was branded as a selfish and unethical traitor after the Revolutionary War and his efforts towards the success of the Americans were often overlooked or forgotten.
Stokesbury, James L. A Short History of the American Revolution. William Morrow and Company, Inc. New York, 1991.
As an American observes the life around him, noting the many advancements made in merely the last century, he must wonder how America climbed to such a level. The 21st century technology, the military and political power, education and ethics, all came from such meager beginnings, solidified by the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War proved to be a significant turning point in the history of our country, but what caused America to win? What were some of the most significant factors in the victory of these American patriots? By examining these three particular factors, America’s military assets, it’s aid from other countries, and its own spirit of independence, one’s understanding of the Revolutionary War, an essential root of this nation, is truly increased.
Among the spies of the 20th century, Kim Philby was a master of his craft. “To betray, you must first belong,” Kim Philby once said. Philby betrayed his colleagues, his friends, his wives, and most of all his country. He did all this in the secret service of the Soviet Union. The effects of this master spy’s operations set the stage for post-World War II in Europe.