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James Armistead Lafayette, The Enslaved Spy Who Outsmarted Cornwallis

He posed as a runaway slave inside Lord Cornwallis’s headquarters, listened to British war plans, fed the enemy false information, and passed critical intelligence straight to the Marquis de Lafayette. His daring espionage helped trap the British army at Yorktown, the decisive victory that won the American Revolution. In Episode 4 of Unsung Patriots, we uncover the remarkable true story of James Armistead Lafayette: an enslaved Virginian who volunteered for one of the most dangerous missions of the war. While still in bondage, he became a double agent, gained the trust of Benedict Arnold and Lord Cornwallis himself, and delivered the intelligence that helped George Washington and French allies seal the final blow.

By Zach Martin