46-662: Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755 – September 22, 1776) was an American Patriot , soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . He volunteered for an intelligence -gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British and executed. Hale is considered an American hero and in 1985 was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut . Nathan Hale
92-561: A commission as first lieutenant in the 7th Connecticut Regiment under Colonel Charles Webb of Stamford . Hale was also a part of Knowlton's Rangers , the first organized intelligence service organization of the United States of America , led by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knowlton . In the spring of 1776, the Continental Army moved to Manhattan to defend New York City against the anticipated British attack. In August,
138-459: A letter from his classmate and friend Benjamin Tallmadge, who had gone to Boston to see the siege for himself. He wrote to Hale, "Was I in your condition, I think the more extensive service would be my choice. Our holy Religion, the honor of our God, a glorious country, & a happy constitution is what we have to defend." Tallmadge's letter was so inspiring that, several days later, Hale accepted
184-488: A play based on Hale's life, Nathan Hale by Clyde Fitch , opened at New York's Knickerbocker Theatre , where it played successfully for eight weeks. It then toured for more than a year, with 41-year-old Nat Goodwin playing Hale and Goodwin's wife Maxine Elliott playing Alice Adams. Two early ballads attempt to recreate Hale's last speech. Songs and Ballads of the Revolution (1855), collected by F. Moore, contained
230-863: A teacher, first in East Haddam and later in New London . After the Revolutionary War began in 1775, Hale joined a Connecticut militia unit and was elected first lieutenant within five months. His company participated in the Siege of Boston , but Hale remained behind. It has been suggested that he was unsure as to whether he wanted to fight, or possibly that he was hindered because his teaching contract in New London did not expire until several months later, in July 1775. On July 4, 1775, Hale received
276-425: Is peace to come; The sacred cause for which I drew my sword Shall yet prevail, and peace shall be restored. I've served with zeal the land that gave me birth, Fulfilled my course, and done my work on earth; Have ever aimed to tread that shining road That leads a mortal to the blessed God. I die resigned, and quit life's empty stage, For brighter worlds my every wish engage; And while my body slumbers in
322-490: Is that Hale's cousin, a Loyalist named Samuel Hale, was the one who revealed his true identity. British General William Howe had established his headquarters in the Beekman House in a then-rural part of Manhattan, on a rise between what are now 50th and 51st Streets between First and Second Avenues, near where Beekman Place commemorates the connection. Hale reportedly was questioned by Howe, and physical evidence
368-704: The Boston Daily Advertiser and helped establish the North American Review . In 1769, when Nathan Hale was fourteen years old, he was sent with his brother Enoch, who was sixteen, to Yale College . He was a classmate of fellow Patriot spy Benjamin Tallmadge . The Hale brothers belonged to the Linonian Society of Yale, which debated topics in astronomy, mathematics, literature, and the ethics of slavery . Nathan graduated with first-class honors in 1773 at age 18 and became
414-492: The Bowery at New York, (an exercise which he was fond of)—his mental powers seemed to be above the common sort—his mind of a sedate and sober cast, & he was undoubtedly Pious; for it was remark'd that when any of the soldiers of his company were sick he always visited them & usually Prayed for & with them in their sickness. Hale has been honored with two standing images: Other statues/markers include: In January 1899
460-641: The Essex Journal stated, "However, at the gallows, he made a sensible and spirited speech; among other things, told them they were shedding the blood of the innocent, and that if he had ten thousand lives, he would lay them all down, if called to it, in defence of his injured, bleeding Country." The May 17, 1781, issue of the Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser gave the following version: "I am so satisfied with
506-643: The Kingdom of Great Britain 's control and governance during the colonial era , and supported and helped launch the American Revolution that ultimately established American independence. Patriot politicians led colonial opposition to British policies regarding the American colonies, eventually building support for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence , which was adopted unanimously by
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#1732772252504552-649: The Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. After the American Revolutionary War began the year before, in 1775, many patriots assimilated into the Continental Army , which was commanded by George Washington and which secured victory against the British Army , leading the British to acknowledge the sovereign independence of the colonies, reflected in the Treaty of Paris , which led to
598-468: The "Ballad of Nathan Hale" (anonymous), dated 1776: "Thou pale king of terrors, thou life's gloomy foe, Go frighten the slave; go frighten the slave; Tell tyrants, to you their allegiance they owe. No fears for the brave; no fears for the brave."; and "To the Memory of Capt. Nathan Hale", by Eneas Munson Sr., was written soon after Hale's death: "Hate of oppression's arbitrary plan, The love of freedom, and
644-641: The 56 men who, as delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia signed the Declaration of Independence . Patriots included a cross-section of the population of the Thirteen Colonies and came from varying backgrounds. Roughly 40 to 45 percent of the White population in the Thirteen Colonies supported the patriots' cause, between 15 and 20 percent supported the Loyalists , and
690-630: The British for questioning. An account of Hale's capture, later obtained by the Library of Congress , was written by Consider Tiffany , a Connecticut shopkeeper and Loyalist. In Tiffany's account, Major Robert Rogers of the Queen's Rangers saw Hale in a tavern and recognized him. After luring Hale into betraying his allegiance by pretending to be a Patriot himself, Rogers and his Rangers apprehended Hale near Flushing Bay in Queens , New York. Another story
736-465: The British side being referred to as Black Loyalists . The critics of British policy towards the Thirteen Colonies called themselves "Whigs" after 1768, identifying with members of the British Whig party who favored similar colonial policies. Samuel Johnson writes that at the time, the word "patriot" had a negative connotation and was used as a negative epithet for "a factious disturber of
782-577: The British soundly defeated the Continentals in the Battle of Long Island via a flanking move from Staten Island across Brooklyn . General George Washington was desperate to determine the location of the imminent British invasion of Manhattan; to that end, Washington called for a spy behind enemy lines, and Hale was the only volunteer. Hale volunteered on September 8, 1776, to go behind enemy lines and report on British troop movements, which he knew
828-723: The Canadas . There they called themselves the United Empire Loyalists . 85% of the Loyalists decided to stay in the new United States and were granted American citizenship. Prior to the formal beginning of the American Revolution , many patriots were active in groups, including the Sons of Liberty . The most prominent patriot leaders are referred to today as the Founding Fathers , who are generally defined as
874-711: The Club is at 44th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue , mere feet from Grand Central Terminal. Another account places Hale's execution at Bergen Beach, Brooklyn , but there is no evidence to support this claim. Hale's body was never found. His family erected an empty grave cenotaph in Nathan Hale Cemetery in South Coventry Historic District , Connecticut. Statues of Hale are based on idealized archetypes; no contemporaneous portraits of him have been found. Documents and letters reveal Hale
920-726: The Spectators to be at all times prepared to meet death in whatever shape it might appear. On the morning of September 22, 1776, Hale was marched along Post Road to the Park of Artillery, which was next to a public house called the Dove Tavern (at modern-day 66th Street and Third Avenue ), and hanged. He was 21 years old. No official records were kept of Hale's final speech. It has traditionally been reported that his last words, either entirely or in part, were: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." The account of
966-591: The area at the southern tip of Manhattan, mostly south of what is now Chambers Street) fell to British forces on September 15, and Washington was forced to retreat to the island's north in Harlem Heights (what is now Morningside Heights ). Shortly after, on September 21, a quarter of the lower portion of Manhattan burned in the Great New York Fire of 1776 . The fire was later widely thought to have been started by American saboteurs in order to keep
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#17327722525041012-583: The cause in which I have engaged, that my only regret is, that I have not more lives than one to offer in its service." Aside from the site at 66th Street and Third Avenue, two other sites in Manhattan claim to be the hanging site: The Yale Club bears a plaque hung by the Daughters of the American Revolution which states the event occurred "near" the Club. Yale is Hale's alma mater and
1058-598: The citizens of the British Empire. Some patriots declared that they were loyal to the king, but they insisted that they should be free to run their own affairs. In fact, they had been running their own affairs since the period of " salutary neglect " before the French and Indian War . Some radical patriots tarred and feathered tax collectors and customs officers, making those positions dangerous; according to Benjamin Irvin,
1104-469: The city from falling into British hands, and though setting fire to New York during Washington's retreat had indeed been proposed, Washington and the Congress had rejected the idea and denied responsibility. The Americans accused British soldiers of starting the fires without orders from their superiors so they could sack the city. In the fire's aftermath, more than 200 American Patriots were detained by
1150-427: The dust, My soul shall join the assemblies of the just." Munson had tutored Hale before college, and knew him and his family well, so even though the particulars of this speech may be unlikely, Munson knew first-hand what Hale's opinions were. Patriot (American Revolution) Patriots , also known as Revolutionaries , Continentals , Rebels , or Whigs , were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who opposed
1196-556: The establishment of the United States in 1783. The patriots were inspired by English and American republican ideology that was part of the Age of Enlightenment , and rejected monarchy and aristocracy and supported individual liberty and natural rights and legal rights . Prominent patriot political theorists such as Thomas Jefferson , John Adams , and Thomas Paine spearheaded the American Enlightenment , which
1242-476: The government". Prior to the Revolution, colonists who supported British authority called themselves Tories or royalists , identifying with the political philosophy of traditionalist conservatism as it existed in Great Britain. During the American Revolution , these persons became known primarily as Loyalists . Afterward, some 15% of Loyalists emigrated north to the remaining British territories in
1288-550: The next day, they were torn up in front of him by the provost marshal, Captain Cunningham. According to the standards of the time, spies were hanged as illegal combatants . By all accounts, Hale comported himself well before the hanging. Frederick MacKensie, a British officer, wrote this diary entry for the day: He behaved with great composure and resolution, saying he thought it the duty of every good Officer, to obey any orders given him by his Commander-in-Chief; and desired
1334-575: The patriot cause was strongest in the New England Colonies and weakest in the Southern Colonies . The American Revolution divided the colonial population into three groups: patriots, who supported the end of British rule, loyalists , who supported Britain's continued control over the colonies, and those who remained neutral. African Americans who supported the patriots were known as Black Patriots , with their counterparts on
1380-613: The patriots felt that morality was on their side because the British government had violated the constitutional rights of Englishmen. Men who were alienated by physical attacks on Royal officials took the Loyalist position, while those who were offended by British responses to actions such as the Boston Tea Party became patriots. Merchants in the port cities with long-standing financial attachments to Britain were likely to remain loyal, while few patriots were so deeply enmeshed in
1426-484: The patriots' confidence that independence lay ahead. The patriots rejected taxes imposed by legislatures in which the taxpayer was not represented. " No taxation without representation " was their slogan, referring to the lack of representation in the British Parliament. The British countered that there was "virtual representation" in the sense that all members of Parliament represented the interests of all
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1472-615: The prisoner to sit in my marquee , while he was making the necessary preparations. Captain Hale entered: he was calm, and bore himself with gentle dignity, in the consciousness of rectitude and high intentions. He asked for writing materials, which I furnished him: he wrote two letters, one to his mother and one to a brother officer. He was shortly after summoned to the gallows . But a few persons were around him, yet his characteristic dying words were remembered. He said, 'I only regret, that I have but one life to lose for my country. ' " Because Hull
1518-454: The published and unpublished writings and letters of leading men on each side, searching for how personality shaped their choice. He finds eight characteristics that differentiated the two groups. Loyalists were older, better established, and more likely to resist innovation than the patriots. Loyalists felt that the Crown was the legitimate government and resistance to it was morally wrong, while
1564-592: The quote originated with British Captain John Montresor , who was present at the hanging. The next day, he spoke with American Captain William Hull under a flag of truce . Hull recorded in his memoirs the following quote by Montresor: "On the morning of his execution," continued the officer, "my station was near the fatal spot, and I requested the Provost Marshal [William Cunningham] to permit
1610-534: The remainder were neutral or kept a low profile regarding their loyalties. The great majority of Loyalists remained in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution; a minority, however, fled the nation for Canada , Great Britain , Florida , or the West Indies . Historians have explored the motivations that pulled men to one side or the other. Yale historian Leonard Woods Labaree used
1656-449: The rights of man; A strong desire to save from slavery's chain The future millions of the western main, And hand down safe, from men's invention cleared, The sacred truths which all the just revered; For ends like these, I wish to draw my breath," He bravely cried, "or dare encounter death." And when a cruel wretch pronounced his doom, Replied, " 'Tis well, – for all
1702-534: The speech might have been like. The following quotes are all taken from George Dudley Seymour's book, Documentary Life of Nathan Hale , published in 1941 by the author. Enoch Hale, Nathan's brother, wrote in his diary after he questioned people who had been present, October 26, 1776, "When at the Gallows he spoke & told them that he was a Capt in the Cont Army by name Nathan Hale." The February 13, 1777, issue of
1748-453: The system. Some Loyalists, according to Labaree, were "procrastinators" who believed that independence was bound to come some day, but wanted to "postpone the moment", while the patriots wanted to "seize the moment". Loyalists were cautious and afraid of anarchy or tyranny that might come from mob rule; patriots made a systematic effort to take a stand against the British government. Finally, Labaree argues that Loyalists were pessimists who lacked
1794-423: The time and an ideological inspiration to many Whigs : How beautiful is death, when earn'd by virtue! Who would not be that youth? What pity is it That we can die but once to serve our country. It is almost certain that Hale's last speech was longer than one sentence. Several early accounts mention different things he said. These are not necessarily contradictory, but rather, together they give an idea of what
1840-410: Was a little above the common stature in height, his shoulders of a moderate breadth, his limbs strait & very plump: regular features—very fair skin—blue eyes—flaxen or very light hair which was always kept short—his eyebrows a shade darker than his hair & his voice rather sharp or piercing—his bodily agility was remarkable. I have seen him follow a football and kick it over the tops of the trees in
1886-480: Was an act of spying , punishable by death. He was ferried across the Long Island Sound to Huntington, New York , on British-controlled Long Island, on September 12. Hale planned to disguise himself as a Dutch schoolteacher looking for work, though he did not travel under an assumed name and reportedly carried with him his Yale diploma bearing his real name. While Hale was undercover, New York City (then
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1932-424: Was an informed, practical, detail-oriented man who planned ahead. Of his appearance and demeanor, fellow soldier Lieutenant Elisha Bostwick wrote that Hale had blue eyes, flaxen blond hair, darker eyebrows, and stood slightly taller than the average height of the time, with mental powers of a sedate mind and piousness. Bostwick wrote: I can now in imagination see his person & hear his voice—his person I should say
1978-544: Was born in Coventry, Connecticut , in 1755, to Deacon Richard Hale and Elizabeth Strong, a descendant of Elder John Strong . He was a great-grandson of Reverend John Hale , an important figure in the Salem witch trials of 1692. He was also the grand-uncle of Edward Everett Hale , a Unitarian minister, writer, and activist noted for social causes including abolitionism . He was the uncle of journalist Nathan Hale , who founded
2024-422: Was found on him. Rogers provided information about the case. According to some accounts, Hale spent the night in a greenhouse at the mansion, while others say he spent it in a bedroom there. He requested a Bible; his request was denied. Sometime later, he requested a clergyman. Again, the request was denied. General Howe did permit him to write letters: one to his brother Enoch and other to his commanding officer, but
2070-410: Was in turn inspired by European thinkers such as Francis Bacon , John Locke , and Jean-Jacques Rousseau . Though slavery existed in all of the Thirteen Colonies prior to the American Revolution, the issue divided patriots, with some supporting its abolition while others espoused proslavery thought . The patriots included members of every social and ethnic group in the colonies, though support for
2116-400: Was not an eyewitness to Hale's speech, some historians have questioned the reliability of this account. Over the years, there has been a great deal of speculation as to whether or not Hale specifically uttered this line, or some variant of it. If Hale did not originate the statement, it is possible he instead repeated a passage from Joseph Addison 's play Cato , which was widely popular at
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