The Public Lie About America's First Spy

You’ve probably heard the story of America’s first spy. Greetings Everyday Spy, You’ve probably heard the story of America’s first spy. Nathan Hale, a Yale graduate and Captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Sadly, this ‘common knowledge’ is almost fully and completely WRONG. Even though he’s celebrated in elementary schools and commemorated by dozens of statues around the nation (including outside CIA Headquarters front entrance, pictured above)! Captain Hale did in fact volunteer to spy against the British in 1776 - but as an informant, not as a professional intelligence officer. Espionage was not a profession the newly-independent American Colonies knew anything about. In fact, spying was outright disliked back then. It was thought to be immoral, dastardly, and uncivilized - a dirty job best left to local natives (aka: Native Americans) and hellians with little utility except supporting the local brothel and bar economies. When Nathan Hale volunteered to George Washington, it wasn’t because Hale was particularly clever, skilled, or crafty. Instead, it was because he was bored and nobody else signed up for the job. Hale set out with no training on a totally independent mission to collect intel against the British from behind enemy lines. On his own he developed a cover story (a school teacher uprooted by the revolution), an alter-ego and disguise (Dutch with matching clothing, paperwork, and knowledge), and went on a round-about mission through Connecticut to get to New York. Captain Hale’s mission was daring, but flawed by a lack of training and support… Two elements that ultimately worked against him when he was captured by a British-employed American tracker named Robert Rogers. Rogers was exactly the kind of hellian brothel-goer that made a good spy, and he had spent decades scouting and spying for the highest bidder in the years leading up to the American Revolution. When he saw shady activity in the area he was charged to recon, he quickly spotted, followed, and set a trap to catch Hale. Hale was captured with a classic counterintelligence deception operation arranged by Rogers at a time when Hale felt weary and alone from all his travels. Rogers, posing as an American patriot and silent supporter of the revolution, promised friendship and a peer group to Hale if he admitted his true affiliation. Hale did that, and more. He explained his mission, his role as a spy, his ultimate goal and his intel target. He was so taken with Roger’s ploy that he even met Rogers on a second occasion specifically to meet more ‘patriots’... who were in fact some of Rogers’ goons. Hale was captured, turned over to the British, and executed without ceremony. In patriotic defiance, Hale shouted his final words before dying: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Or did he... Like his origins as a spy, Hale’s final words have also been twisted by time. They are actually unknown, never recorded and never remembered. And definitely not the famous phrase you were taught. That phrase actually comes from a 1713 play by Joseph Addison called ‘Cato’: "What pity is it / That we can die but once to serve our country." Yale-educated, patriotic beyond words, and a born rebel at heart - Nathan Hale’s sacrifice should always be remembered and honored for what it truly was. A brave solo mission to do the impossible, when nobody else dared try. That is a mission worth taking… for Hale, for me, and for yourself. Godspeed, #EverydaySpy P.S. - Tough tasks need more than dedication – you need an elite skillset to succeed. [This collection of skills I learned at CIA gives you simple action steps to break any barrier holding you back.]( Follow @EverydaySpy on Social Media! [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com, is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on his Podcast (The EverydaySpy Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on your favorite social media platform. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe]( EverydaySpy, 411 Walnut St. #20309, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043