28. George Washington Served as His Own Spy Master
In America’s War of Independence, George Washington was not just a general: he also doubled as his own spy master. His espionage attentions were most centered on New York City. When people think of the American Revolution, the city that usually first comes to mind is Boston. Among other things, we have the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, John and Samuel Adams, the nearby opening engagements at Lexington and Concord, and the Patriots’ first major military success was to force the British to leave Boston. However, New York also played a major role in the Revolutionary War.
After the war’s first few months when Boston was the focus of attention, New York took center stage for the rest of the conflict. In the summer of 1776, the British descended upon New York in force, and the largest battle of the entire war was fought at Long Island on August 27th, 1776. George Washington and the Continental Army were defeated, and he and the remnants of his army were forced to hole up in Brooklyn. They only avoided capture there by a miraculous escape. The British then proceeded to consolidate their hold on the city and its surroundings.