The Culper Ring was a network of spies active during the American Revolutionary War, organized by Major Benjamin Tallmadge and General George Washington in 1778 during the British occupation of New York City. The name "Culper" was suggested by George Washington and taken from Culpeper County, Virginia. The leaders of the spy ring were Abraham Woodhull and Robert Townsend, using the aliases of "Samuel Culper Sr." and "Samuel Culper Jr.", respectively; Tallmadge was referred to as "John Bolton". While Tallmadge was the spies' direct contact, Washington often directed their operations. The ring was tasked to provide Washington information on British Army operations in New York City, the British headquarters. Its members operated mostly in New York City, Long Island, and Connecticut between late October 1778 and the British evacuation of New York in 1783. The information supplied by the spy ring included details of a surprise attack on the newly arrived French forces under Lieutenant General Rochambeau at Newport, Rhode Island, before they had recovered from their arduous sea voyage, as well as a British plan to counterfeit American currency on the actual paper used for Continental dollars, which prompted the Continental Congress to retire the bills. The ring also informed Washington that Tryon's raid of July 1779 was intended to divide his forces and allow Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton to attack them piecemeal. In 1780, the Culper Ring discovered a high-ranking American officer, subsequently identified as Benedict Arnold, was plotting with British Major John Andr&eacute; to turn over the vitally important American fort at West Point, New York on the Hudson River and surrender its garrison to the British forces.

Culper Spy Ring

The Navy was rooted in the colonial seafaring tradition, which produced a large community of sailors, captains, and shipbuilders. In the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, Massachusetts had its own Massachusetts Naval Militia. The rationale for establishing a national navy was debated in the Second Continental Congress. Supporters argued that a navy would protect shipping, defend the coast, and make it easier to seek support from foreign countries. Detractors countered that challenging the British Royal Navy, then the world's preeminent naval power, was a foolish undertaking. Commander in Chief George Washington resolved the debate when he commissioned the ocean-going schooner USS Hannah to interdict British merchantmen and reported the captures to the Congress. On 13 October 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the purchase of two vessels to be armed for a cruise against British merchantmen; this resolution created the Continental Navy and is considered the first establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Continental Navy achieved mixed results; it was successful in a number of engagements and raided many British merchant vessels, but it lost twenty-four of its vessels and at one point was reduced to two in active service. In August 1785, after the Revolutionary War had drawn to a close, Congress had sold Alliance, the last ship remaining in the Continental Navy due to a lack of funds to maintain the ship or support a navy.

The Birth of the United States Navy

Von Steuben's Continentals: The First American Army

How Mercantilism Started the American Revolution

American Revolution (1765-1783)

Riflemen, Snipers & Light Infantry - Continental 'Special Forces' of the American Revolution.

African American Soldiers in the Continental Army

Feeding Washington's Army | Read the Revolution with Ricardo A. Herrera

American Revolution and the French Alliance

France and Spain Join the Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War, lasting from April 19, 1775, to September 3, 1783, was the conflict that led to the establishment of the United States. The war began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and escalated after the Second Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution, proclaiming the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/Colonial-History-of-the-United-States" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Thirteen Colonies</a> as independent states. Under the leadership of <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/George-Washington" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">George Washington</a>, the <a href="https://history-maps.com/article/The-Continental-Army-during-the-American-Revolution" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Continental Army</a> fought against <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-England" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">British</a>, Loyalist, and Hessian forces. The war expanded to include support from <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-France" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">France</a> and <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Spain" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spain</a> for the American cause, making it an international conflict involving theaters in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. Tensions had been building between the American colonies and Britain due to various policies related to trade, taxation, and governance. These tensions reached a boiling point with events like the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. In response, Britain enacted punitive measures known as the Intolerable Acts, which led the colonies to convene the First Continental Congress and later the Second Continental Congress. These assemblies protested British policies and eventually shifted toward advocating full independence, formalizing militias into the Continental Army, and appointing George Washington as its commander. Critical American victories, like the Battle of Saratoga, helped secure formal alliances with France and later Spain. These alliances provided essential military and financial support. The war reached its decisive climax at the Siege of Yorktown, where British General Cornwallis was forced to surrender, effectively ending major combat operations. After continued diplomatic efforts, the war formally concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, in which Britain acknowledged the United States as a sovereign nation. This war not only birthed a new nation but also set precedents in warfare, diplomacy, and governance that would have global repercussions.

1776 War March

American Revolutionary War 

Visual Timelines

American Revolutionary War Timeline

American Revolutionary War Timeline

Prologue

Seeds of Revolution

Stamp Act

Quartering Acts

Boston Massacre

Committees of Correspondence

Tea Act

Boston Tea Party

Intolerable Acts

First Continental Congress

War Starts

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Siege of Boston

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

Continental Army formed

Battle of Bunker Hill

Invasion of Quebec

Western theater of the American Revolutionary War

Dunmore's Proclamation

Battle of Great Bridge

Battle of Quebec

Common Sense

Battle of the Rice Boats

British evacuate Boston

Battle of the Cedars

Battle of Trois-Rivières

Battle of Sullivan's Island

British Momentum

New York & New Jersey Campaign

United States Declaration of Independence

Battle of Long Island

Battle of Harlem Heights

Battle of Valcour Island

Battle of White Plains

Battle of Fort Washington

Crossing of the Delaware River

Battle of Trenton

Forage War

Battle of the Assunpink Creek

Battle of Princeton

Battle of Bound Brook

Meigs Raid

Philadelphia Campaign

Siege of Fort Ticonderoga

Battle of Oriskany

Turning Point

Battle of Bennington

Battle of Brandywine

Battles of Saratoga

Battle of Paoli

Battle of Germantown

Battle of Red Bank

Battle of White Marsh

Valley Forge

Treaty of Alliance

Battle of Barren Hill

Stalemate in the North

Mount Hope Bay raids

Battle of Monmouth

Illinois campaign

Battle of Rhode Island

Southern Campaign

British move South

Cherry Valley Massacre

Capture of Savannah

Battle of Kettle Creek

Siege of Fort Vincennes

Battle of Brier Creek

Chesapeake Raid

Spain and the American Revolutionary War

Sullivan Expedition

Battle of Stono Ferry

Tryon's raid

Battle of Stony Point

Penobscot Expedition

Gulf Coast campaign

Capture of Fort Bute