Major John Andre: Officer, Gentleman, Spy

This week on The History Twins podcast, storytelling duo Carla Lynne Hall and Jim Keyes discuss Major John Andre, the British Head of Intelligence during the American Revolutionary War.

On September 20th, 1780, he met with American General Benedict Arnold in Haverstraw, NY to receive the plans for West Point.

Some believe that Major Andre had even courted Benedict Arnold’s wife, while she was still a young woman. Charismatic and charming, Andre was admired by both British comrades and American foes. After his death, Andre’s body was buried in the Poet’s Corner of England’s Westminster Abbey, alongside monuments of Shakespeare, Tennyson, Chaucer, Dryden, and Spenser.

But who was British Major John Andre, really?

Carla and Keyes also discuss the creative process behind, “Officer, Gentleman, Spy”, the song they wrote about John Andre, which appears in This Man’s A Spy, their musical retelling of the treasonous plot between Arnold and Andre.

“This Man’s A Spy!” was originally commissioned by the Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission / Yorktown 250, in partnership with Revolutionary Westchester 250, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, this concert has modern stylings that are enjoyed by audiences of all ages.

You can listen to the podcast here.
You can watch the conversation on YouTube here.

The History Twins podcast teaches that New York history is more than just dates and dead people. It’s for people interested in history, and the creative process involved in bringing history to life through performance. It is a production of Gentle Giant Music Productions.

You will find more stories at CarlaandKeyes.com.