Born June 6, 1755
Coventry, Connecticut
Died September 22, 1776
New York, New York

Military leader, spy, schoolmaster

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."
Portrait: Nathan Hale.
Reproduced by permission of AP/Wide World Photos.

Nathan Hale was a schoolteacher who became an officer in the Continental (American) army during the American Revolution (1775–83). When General George Washington (see entry) needed information about the British military plans to take New York City, Hale volunteered to go behind the British lines as a spy. He was captured and killed by hanging, but his brave words have inspired generations of soldiers and schoolchildren ever since.

Nathan Hale was born on June 6, 1755, in Coventry, Connecticut, the son of Richard Hale and Elizabeth Strong. He was one of twelve children born to the couple, and one of nine sons. (Six of those nine sons would fight for...