The Culper Ring: A Spy Group Analysis

During the American Revolution, brave soldiers signed up to fight or die for their right to have freedom from the tyrannical grip that England had on America. General George Washington, leader of the Continental Army, led the nation to victory. However, he did not just have help from his army of valiant soldiers. General Washington also had the assistance of completely normal citizens who were appointed to gather information from the British that would be critical to aiding the general. Some of these citizens acted alone in their missions while others were part of groups of fellow spies. One group in particular, known as the Culper Ring, was a highly pivotal spy group that was very successful in gathering intelligence and distributing it in secretive and hidden ways. Important aspects of this group include: the formation, the role of each member, and the tactics. British intelligence had been already ahead of anything the rebels had when the war began; therefore, different tactics had to be created to gather information. Scouts …show more content…
Since Roe operated a tavern that he owned in Setauket, he used this as a way to retrieve information (“The Culper”). Robert Townsend owned a coffee shop in New York City and would gather information (Meyer). Meanwhile, Roe would embark on a trip from Setauket to New York City in order to pick up the intelligence and bring it back (“Culper”). Since he was a tavern owner, he used the excuse of needing supplies for his tavern to justify his frequent trips to the city (History.com). “Culper Spy Ring” states, “The messages were then hidden in goods that Roe took back to Setauket and hid on a farm belonging to Abraham Woodhull who would later retrieve the messages.” “The secret spots that were used were known as dead drops, or specific places that granted those who knew about them the opportunity to pass intelligence to each other in secrecy