Impact
"Because that boy said those words, and because he died, thousands of young men have given their lives to this country." -Edward Everett Hale, Nathan Hale's great nephew
Nathan Hale lived a very short life that was very successful in terms of leaving a legacy. He was a teacher in Connecticut that not only taught boys during the day but also secretly taught young women at night. Nathan Hale was ahead of his time when it came to gender equality and he went out of his way to teach young women who would not have received an education otherwise. He demonstrated patriotism and when he was in the army fave a speech in New London, Connecticut in order to recruit more men for the American forces (Live Interview, Beverly York, Site Administrator of Nathan Hale Homestead, December 14, 2014).
"I will spy but I will not lie" -Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale agreed to be a spy but he was a very truthful man and never lied while he was spying behind enemy lines. When "Hale got through Long Island to New York where he was caught with incriminating papers, including sketches of fortifications. Upon being taken, he immediately 'declared his name, his rank in the American army, and his object in coming within the British lines.' He was summarily sentenced, being automatically denied a trial" (Baker 7). This demonstrates Nathan Hale's patriotism and pride rather than scaring away from the British forces and trying to get out of trouble.
"Hale's memory and example did become used as an inspirational figure in the education of successive generations of New Englanders (mainly in Connecticut), but I'd see this as reflecting social patterns rather than shaping them: his qualities -- patriotism, selflessness, self-composure -- have been valued, and his story has helped exemplify them" -Email Interview, Christopher Clark, Professor and History Department Head of University of Connecticut, December 29, 2014
A Martyr
The book "The Life and Death of America's First Spy" by William Phelps is a story that was published in 2008 that tells the tale of Nathan Hale. Author, William Phelps, states that Nathan Hale became a hero when people stopped looking at him as a spy but rather as a martyr who was following orders and doing what he could to help the colonies.
Source: C-Span.org