Women Who Were Spies
Spymasters. Scouts. Secret messengers. Couriers. Women, both Loyalist and Patriot, played pivotal roles as spies, typically gathering information far more easily than their male counterparts.
Why might women have made successful spies during the American Revolution?
Many women made use of their skills as cooks or house cleaners to gain opportunities to eavesdrop and gather information. These roles often gave them unrestricted access to enemy campsites to obtain intelligence on equipment shortages, leadership changes, and even troop movements. Some women, such as 16-year-old Sybil Ludington, rode long distances to warn American forces of British plans. Anna Strong transmitted messages by hanging laundry in patterns based on a code.
Peggy Shippen of Philadelphia had become friendly with Major John André, a young British officer and spymaster. Through their friendship, Shippen became a Loyalist sympathizer. Soon after, she met and married a commander of the Continental Army, Benedict Arnold. One month after they married, Arnold secretly contacted the British Army to offer his services. Shippen’s longstanding correspondence with Major André made her the perfect go-between. She hid cypher messages in personal and business letters, confident that no one would look too closely at the correspondence of the commander’s wife.
Unknown to Shippen, Washington had a female spy known only as Agent 355. She determined that an American general was plotting with Major André to help the British Army take control of West Point. But on September 21, Major André was arrested and confessed to working with Arnold. Only two days later, while Shippen and Arnold were preparing to welcome George Washington into their home, they learned that Major André had been captured. Arnold fled, leaving Shippen to handle Washington alone.
When Washington and his officers arrived, Shippen went into hysterics and insisted that she had no knowledge of her husband’s plot. Her performance convinced Washington of her innocence and caused enough of a delay that Arnold was able to escape. Washington, none the wiser, gave Shippen permission to move back to Philadelphia with her child.
One of the letters written to Arnold, in cypher. (Click to enlarge.)
Take Notes
Now that you've learned about women spying during the American Revolution, add to your notes about their participation on the “Spying” line.
