Summary
James Armistead, an enslaved Virginian, volunteers to serve as a spy for the Marquis de Lafayette — infiltrating British headquarters and gaining the confidence of Lord Cornwallis himself to gather intelligence that helps defeat the British at Yorktown. His courageous double-agent work proves essential to the American victory, yet he returns to enslavement afterward, raising questions about who the Revolution's promise of liberty actually included.
Viewer safety
The episode addresses slavery directly and honestly. James Armistead's return to enslavement after the war is discussed. Appropriate for grades 4–6 with teacher facilitation.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
James Armistead risked his life spying for the Continental Army — and after the war, Lafayette wrote a letter supporting his petition for freedom. He was eventually freed in 1787 and took the surname Lafayette in honor of the general.
- Why did James Armistead choose to spy for the Americans, knowing he would return to slavery if the British won — and also if the Americans won, at first?
- The Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal. How do James Armistead's story and the story of slavery challenge that idea?
- Lafayette worked to free James Armistead after the war. What does that tell us about Lafayette? About how change happens?
- History is full of people who contributed to America's founding but whose contributions were ignored or erased. Why do you think that happened, and why does it matter that we learn about them now?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: spy, intelligence, double agent, enslavement, petition, freedom.
Try it: Write a letter in James Armistead's voice to the Virginia legislature petitioning for his freedom. Include: (1) what you did during the war, (2) what you are asking for, (3) one reason it is just. Use evidence from the episode to support your letter.