John André (May 2, 1750 – October 2, 1780) was a major in the British Army and head of its intelligence operations in America during the American Revolutionary War. In that role he was assigned the task of negotiating Benedict Arnold's secret offer to surrender the fort at West Point, New York, to the British in September 1780. Through a series of mishaps and unforeseen events, André was forced to return from a meeting with Arnold through American territory while wearing civilian clothes. He was captured by three colonials and soon identified. He was convicted of espionage and hanged as a spy by the Continental Army on the orders of George Washington.
André is typically remembered favorably by historians as a man of honor, and several prominent U.S. leaders of the time, including Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette, did not agree with his fate.
