author
Morton Pennypacker
1872–1956
Best known for bringing the story of George Washington’s spy network to a wide audience, this Long Island historian spent decades preserving local records and turning them into lively books. His work helped shape popular interest in the Culper Ring and in the region’s colonial past.
1 Audiobook
General Washington's spies on Long Island and in New York
by Morton Pennypacker
About the author
Born in 1872, Morton Pennypacker was an American historian, printer, and collector whose work centered on Long Island and early New York history. He became especially associated with East Hampton and Suffolk County, where he was known for gathering rare books, manuscripts, and other historical material.
Pennypacker wrote several books on Long Island history, including George Washington's Spies, which helped revive interest in the Culper Ring, the Revolutionary War intelligence network linked to Long Island and New York City. He also wrote on legal and regional history, combining the instincts of a researcher with the enthusiasm of a local historian eager to make the past vivid for general readers.
His influence lasted beyond his books. In 1930, he gave his personal collection of Long Island materials to the East Hampton Library, creating a resource that continued to support historical study after his death in 1956.