🕵️‍♂️ ACTIVITY: THE CULPER RUN

THE HISTORY: The Culper Ring

• The Problem: British soldiers occupied New York City. General Washington (Code Name: 711) was stuck outside in New Jersey. He needed to know troop movements, but messengers were constantly caught and searched.

• The Solution: The Sympathetic Stain. A special chemical formula (invented by James Jay, brother of John Jay) that was completely invisible on paper. Needed a second “developer” chemical to reveal.

• The Code: To be extra safe, they didn’t just write English. They used a Numerical Dictionary.

  • Example: They wouldn’t write “Washington.” They would write “711”.

Mission: You are a Patriot Spy. You must deliver secret messages across “British Occupied Territory” (the middle of the room).

The Enemy: British Soldiers (Staff) are patrolling. They are looking for suspicious behavior.

THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1. Write: Compose a message of at least 3 codes using the key below. Write it with the UV Pen.

2. The Walk: Walk across the room to deliver it to your partner on the other side.

   • DO NOT RUN. Running attracts attention. Spies act natural.

   • DO NOT LOOK GUILTY. If you avoid eye contact or sneak around, they will spot you.

   • JUST AMBLE. Walk like you are just taking a stroll.

3. The Interception:

   • If a British Soldier yells “HALT!”, you must stop.

   • Hand them your paper.

   • If stopped you must walk back to your start line and try crossing again.

4. The Goal: The team with the most decoded replies wins.

🗝️ OFFICIAL CULPER CODE DICTIONARY

Combine these numbers to form your secret sentences.

Example Messages:

• “Enemy Ships Attack Tomorrow”

  178 – 640 – 38 – 672

• “Send Gold Quickly to Camp”

  580 – 230 – 522 – 78

• “Hide Washington In House”

   

• “Lady Spy Find Gunpowder”

   

EXTENSION 1: The “Decoy” Letter (Historical Accuracy)

Real spies didn’t just carry blank paper—that looks suspicious! They wrote fake “boring” letters and hid the secret ink between the lines.

• The Setup:

  • Use the “Newspaper” prop or a plain sheet.

• The Mission:

  1. Visible Layer: The student must write a totally normal, boring message in regular pen/pencil.

     • Example: “Dear Aunt, I am bringing you this newspaper. The weather is nice. Love, John.”

  2. Hidden Layer: They must write the Invisible Code Numbers (UV Ink) in between the lines of the normal text.

• The Test: When the “British Soldier” stops them, they hand over the letter. The soldier reads the boring part and says, “Boring! Move along.”

• Why it works: It teaches Steganography (hiding messages in plain sight).

EXTENSION 2: The “Anna Strong” Signal (Visual Signaling)

Anna Strong was a spy who used her laundry line to signal messages. A black petticoat meant “The boat is here.”

• The Setup: Two teams (Senders and Receivers) separated by the “British Zone.”

• The Mission: The Receiver is NOT safe. The British are watching them.

  • The Signal: The Sender cannot cross until the Receiver gives the “All Clear” signal.

  • The Code:

    • Holding Newspaper in Left Hand: “Coast Clear. Come over.”

    • Holding Newspaper in Right Hand: “DANGER! British are watching. Stay back.”

• The Game: The “British” facilitators should stand near the Receivers randomly. If a Sender crosses while the British are close, they are caught instantly. They must wait for the visual signal.

EXTENSION 3: The “Double Agent” (Social Deduction)

Benedict Arnold wasn’t the only traitor. Paranoia was a spy’s best friend.

• The Setup: Before the game starts, hand out role cards (or whisper to students).

  • Most are Patriots.

  • One student per group is a British Sympathizer (Double Agent).

• The Mission:

  • The group works together to decode the incoming messages.

  • The Twist: The Double Agent’s goal is to secretly mess up the decoding (give the wrong word for a number) OR drop the paper “accidentally” near a British soldier.

• The Challenge: The team must figure out who is sabotaging them before the game ends.

EXTENSION 4: The “Interrogation” (Roleplay Challenge)

Spies had to be good liars. Getting caught wasn’t the end—unless you cracked under pressure.

• The Setup: If a student is stopped by a British Guard (Staff), they don’t just hand over the paper. They enter “Interrogation Mode.”

• The Mission: The Guard asks 3 rapid-fire questions:

  1. “Where are you going?”

  2. “Who gave you this paper?”

  3. “Why are you sweating?”

• The Rule: The student has 5 seconds to answer each question without stuttering or contradicting themselves.

  • Pass: “I’m… uh… going to the… store?” (FAIL! Go back to start).

  • Pass: “Going to the market, sir. My mother gave it to me. It’s hot outside!” (PASS! Move along).