In July 1776, colonial delegates wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, effectively announcing that they intended to separate from the British Empire, and soon, war was underway. However, by the end of the year, things weren't looking so good for General George Washington and the Continental Army. He and his troops had been forced to abandon their position in New York City and flee across New Jersey. To make matters worse, the spy Washington sent to gather intelligence, Nathan Hale, had been captured by the British and hanged for treason.
Washington was in a tough spot, and had no way to learn about his enemies' movements. Over the next few months, he organized several different groups to collect information, operating under the theory that civilians would attract less attention than military personnel, but by 1778, he still lacked a network of agents in New York.
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