1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in history class as a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: heart radio. Hello and welcome to this day in history class, 3 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: a show that pays tribute to people of the past 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: by telling their stories. Today I'm Gabe Lousier, and in 5 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: this episode we're talking about the life and death of 6 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: Nathan Hale, a young American soldier who became a symbol 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: of self sacrifice to a nation in search of heroes. 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: The day was September seventeen seventy six. Captain Nathan Hale 9 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: of the Continental Army was hanged by the British for spying. 10 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: The former Connecticut School teacher was just twenty one years old, 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: but it bravely volunteered weeks earlier to sneak across enemy 12 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: lines and gather valuable Intel about British movements. Hale's mission 13 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: was ultimately unsuccessful, but his death inspired George Washington to 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: create a dedicated spy ring, one that ultimately helped win 15 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: the war. Nathan Hale was born in Coventry, Connecticut, on 16 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: June sixth seventeen fifty five. He was the second son 17 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: of Deacon Richard Hale and Elizabeth Strong, a prominent puritan 18 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: couple who placed great importance on education and religious virtue. 19 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: When Hale was fourteen he was sent off to Yale 20 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: College with his older brother Enoch. Both boys became members 21 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: of the Linonian Society, a Student Club devoted to literature 22 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: and debate. Nathan graduated with honors in Seventeen seventy three 23 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: and quickly took a job as a local school teacher, 24 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: first in East Hadam and then, a bit later, in 25 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: New London. Unfortunately, Hale's quiet life of letters didn't last long. 26 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: When the American revolution began in seventeen seventy five, hale 27 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: quickly joined the fight for independence. As part of a 28 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: Connecticut militia. He took part in the siege of Boston 29 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: that summer and the following year he was promoted to 30 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: the rank of captain. From there hale went to New 31 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 1: York City, where he, in a small unit, aided William 32 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: Heath's brigade in defending the city. They did their best 33 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: to hold back the forces of British General William how 34 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: but in late August the Patriots were overwhelmed and the 35 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: port of New York City finally fell to the invading 36 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: British army. It was a dangerous setback for the American 37 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: colonies as how had already captured Staten Island and begun 38 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: a military build up on Long Island. He was on 39 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: his way to controlling America's second largest city after Philadelphia, 40 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: clearing the path for him to take possession of all 41 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: of New York. If that happened, the New England would 42 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: be effectively cut off from the rest of the colonies, 43 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 1: making the chances of an American victory that much slimmer. 44 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: The continental army had held its ground on the island 45 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: of Man Hatton, but General George Washington knew a British 46 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: invasion was imminent. What he didn't know, however, was where 47 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: in Manhattan the British would strike. To find out, he 48 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: asked for a volunteer to travel behind enemy lines on 49 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,519 Speaker 1: long island to gather information on the British army's location 50 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: and movements. Nathan Hale put his name forward for the 51 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: job and on September twelve he was ferried across to Huntington, 52 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: New York, on British controlled Long Island. Once there, hale 53 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: disguised himself as a Dutch schoolmaster in search of a 54 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: job and began asking around for information on British troops. 55 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: His goal was to learn how the Red Coats intended 56 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: to take Manhattan so that General Washington couldn't mount a 57 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: proper defense. Unfortunately, the British army invaded Manhattan and captured 58 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: the city just a few days after Hale's arrival. Any 59 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: information he'd gathered would no longer be of use and, 60 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: to make matters worse, he was now trapped in enemy 61 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: trolled territory. Hale tried to return to his regiment, but 62 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: on September twenty British soldiers set fire to the city 63 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: and began actively searching for anyone loyal to the Patriot cause. 64 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 1: The exact details of Nathan Hale's capture are unknown. Some 65 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,359 Speaker 1: sources claim he was caught while sailing back across the 66 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: long island sound. Others say he was recognized by his 67 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: loyalist cousin, Samuel Hale, who promptly handed him over to 68 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: British authorities. But the most widely accepted version of events 69 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: is that British major Robert Rogers saw through Hale's disguise 70 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,559 Speaker 1: after spotting him in a local tavern. Rogers reportedly played 71 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: at cool and didn't let hale know he was onto him. Instead, 72 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: he struck up a conversation and pretended that he too 73 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: was a Patriot sympathizer. Once he had gained Hale's trust, 74 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: Rogers invited him to his private quarters to have dinner 75 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,799 Speaker 1: with a few friends. Hale accepted the invitation and during 76 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: the meal he was a tested for espionage. Whatever the 77 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: truth of his capture, Nathan Hale was taken to British 78 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: headquarters for questioning by General William Howe. Maps and drawings 79 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: of British fortifications were then discovered in Hale's possession, confirming 80 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: major Roger's suspicion that he was indeed a spy. With 81 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: the matter settled, General Howe wasted no time in issuing 82 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: execution orders. The following morning, Hale was taken to an 83 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: undisclosed location somewhere in New York City and hanged by 84 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: the neck until dead. His body was left hanging for 85 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: several days and was then buried in an unmarked grave. Today, 86 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: hale is best remembered not only for his courage and 87 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,679 Speaker 1: the face of untimely death, but for his stirring final words. 88 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: I only regret that I have but one life to 89 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: lose for my country. It's worth noting, though, that there's 90 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: no proof that hale actually made that statement. It was 91 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: first attributed to him by Britge Ish Captain John Montresor, 92 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: who recounted the event and the famous line to an 93 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: American captain just one day after Hale's execution. If his 94 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,119 Speaker 1: account is true, then Hale was likely paraphrasing a line 95 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: from a seventeen thirteen tragic play called Cato. It went 96 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 1: what a pity it is that we can die but 97 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 1: once to serve our country. That passage was near and 98 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: dear to many revolutionaries of the era, and Hale was, 99 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,359 Speaker 1: after all, a Yale educated teacher with a passion for literature. 100 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: He almost certainly would have been familiar with the quote. 101 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: To be clear, several accounts written at the time of 102 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: Hale's death mentioned that he gave a speech on the 103 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: way to the gallows. There's just no official record of 104 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: what exactly he said. We do have a rough idea, though. 105 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: One of the British officers present at Hale's execution wrote 106 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: about the event in his diary that same day. The 107 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: entry said of hale quote he behaved with great compos 108 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: jure and resolution, saying he thought it the duty of 109 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 1: every good officer to obey any orders given him by 110 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: his commander in chief, and he desired the spectators to 111 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: be at all times prepared to meet death, in whatever 112 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: shape it might appear. So did Hale really say? I 113 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: only regret that I have but one life to lose 114 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: for my country? No one really knows. Nothing in the 115 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: accounts we have rule it out or confirm it. But 116 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: even if he didn't express that exact sentiment, given his story, 117 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: it seems certain he would have agreed with it. Hale's 118 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: mission never had a high chance of success. He hadn't 119 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: been trained as a spy and he had been given 120 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: only the most basic instructions on how to conceal his 121 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: identity and mission. He knew all of that, but he 122 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: also knew there was no time to prepare anything better. 123 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: The risk of failure was high, but Nathan Hale took 124 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: it on anyway. He volunteered to try and to die 125 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: trying if necessary, and by all accounts, those of both 126 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: his friends and foes alike, he would have done the 127 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: same again if he couldn't. I'm gay, Bluesier and hopefully 128 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: you now know a little more about history today than 129 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If you have a second and you're 130 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: so inclined, consider following us on twitter, facebook and Instagram 131 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: at t d I hc show. You can also rate 132 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: and review the show on Apple podcasts, or you can 133 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: write to me directly at this day at Iheart Media 134 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: Dot Com. Thanks to Chandler mays for producing the show 135 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening. I'll see you back 136 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: here again tomorrow for another day in history class.