<P> Nathan Hale ( June 6 , 1755 -- September 22 , 1776 ) was an American soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . He volunteered for an intelligence - gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British and executed . Hale has long been considered an American hero and , in 1985 , he was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut . </P>
who was executed for being an american spy during the revolutionary war
Nathan Hale