Please note: Single tickets are available for the Sept. 21, Sept. 28, and Oct. 5 sessions of this course.
During the War of Independence, cunning spies, clever strategists, and treacherous turncoats used intelligence to literally shape the course of history. George Washington understood “the advantage of obtaining the earliest and best Intelligence of the designs of the enemy,” and he was willing to pay for it. In this series, intelligence experts and historians explore individuals and incidents in which espionage played a critical part in the Revolution.
Sept. 14 George Washington: Spymaster
When the Revolutionary War deadlocked, General George Washington unleashed a secret weapon: his spy ring. Washington understood the value of intelligence and knew how to get it. Historian Alexander Rose, author of Washington’s Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Ring, profiles General Washington as a savvy spymaster who used espionage to turn the tide in America’s favor and how this later would influence the formation of the new nation’s intelligence service. The AMC series TURN: Washington’s Spies is based on Rose’s book, and he also comments on the show’s depiction of Revolutionary spies and spycraft.
Sept. 21 Benjamin Franklin: Master of Intrigue
He played France against Britain and enabled General Washington to outguess and outmaneuver the Redcoats. The 18th-century super spymaster Benjamin Franklin is too little known for his crafty management of a U.S. intelligence network during the Revolutionary War. As a founder of the Committee on Secret Correspondence, he had expertise in the full array of sophisticated spycraft—from secret writing to calculated leaks—and he wasn’t afraid to use it. James Srodes, author of Franklin: The Essential Founding Father, explores Franklin’s espionage expertise and how his legacy continues to affect intelligence-gathering today, more than 300 years after his birth.
Sept. 28 James Lafayette: Double Agent
He seemed like the perfect spy—to both the Americans and the British. Luckily for the Continental Army, he was a loyal patriot. Although enslaved, James Lafayette was able to volunteer for the Continental Army under the Marquis de Lafayette, who recognized his undercover potential: James could pass as a runaway slave and infiltrate British camps and gather information, as well as share misinformation. He was so believable that the British trusted him with their own spy mission. Katherine Egner Gruber, curator at Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, shares newly uncovered research on the life and times of James Lafayette, including his own fight for personal liberty after helping to secure the patriot’s victory at the Siege of Yorktown.
Oct. 5 Benedict Arnold: Turncoat
He could have been one of the most revered Revolutionary War heroes, but ended up as the reason that treason is the only crime mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. But there’s much more to the story. What actually caused him to switch sides? Was he influenced by his young Tory-leaning wife, insulted by slights, passed over for promotions, simply broke—or all of these reasons? Retired CIA intelligence officer Ken Daigler, author of Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: America in the Revolutionary War, looks at Arnold’s background and the details of the intelligence operation that ended in his disgrace. He also discusses why this was truly a British intelligence failure, and the roles played by that army’s Major John Andre and General Henry Clinton.
4 sessions
Image above: Color mezzotint of Benedict Arnold, 1776, London, by Thomas Hart
