Since the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, many historians have pondered how the largest military fighting force of that era was defeated by a group of colonialists. While there were many factors that led to the defeat of the British, such as: the alliance between the United States and France and the British not taking full advantage of the loyalist within the colonies, one of the factors many historians overlook is the role of espionage. Espionage, due to its secret nature, can be hard to study when looking at history. Only in the past twenty years have new documents been found that shed new light onto the role of espionage in the American Revolution. Despite the secrecy of the subject and the lack of documents, it has…show more content… The historians that fall under this category base their beliefs off new evidence that has recently come to light. Bernadine Fawcett is considered the main “parent” historian of this school of thought. Fawcett presents a twist to the general layout and approach to the Culper Spy Ring. She argues that two lessor know contributors, Reverend Eliot and Thaddeus Burr, were key in the success of the spy ring. She uses photocopies of original letters, historical photographs, and period newspaper articles throughout the book to present her case, of the importance of Reverend Eliot and Thaddeus Burr. These two contributors were key in the passing of intelligence up the chain of command. As many historians and Fawcett in her book have pointed out, the marriage relationships within these to spies played a vital role in their success. These different factors is what attracts some historians to the conclusion that Reverend Eliot and Thaddeus Burr were the key players of the Culper spy ring. Overall this camp of historians is relatively small, but should still be recognized because of the new information it brings to the
