Major John André was a British Army officer and spy during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for his role in the treason of Benedict Arnold, an American general who plotted to surrender the fort at West Point to the British. André was captured by American forces in 1780 while carrying documents that revealed Arnold's plans. André was born in 1750 in London, England, and joined the British Army in 1771. After his capture, he was tried and executed by hanging in October 1780. His death made him a symbol of the dangers of espionage and the complexities of loyalty during the war.