In honor of America 250, Pennsylvania Postcards will focus on the people, places, and events that best commemorate this U.S. milestone and our Commonwealth's crucial role in it.
Women weren't typically seen as being able to understand military or war topics, which is why Anne Bates was able to be such a successful spy for British forces. Anne was a Philadelphia school teacher and the wife of a British soldier.
Sometime around 1778, she started posing as a peddler, selling things like thread, needles, and utensils in American camps. What she was really doing was scouting out the number of men and weapons in those camps. She was able to provide vital information to the British about Patriot equipment and tactical plans.