Case evidence
Reconstruct Paul Revere's ride
Use the historical route map and evidence cards shown here to piece together what happened on the night of April 18, 1775 — rather than simply reading a summary of it.
Secret History SocietyCase files & curiosities
Actual Case File 001 materials
Case File 001
Can your child crack the secrets of the American Revolution?
Spies of the American Revolution
Across five historical trials, kids investigate real evidence, catch contradictions, reconstruct events, and decode the same kind of cipher used by Washington's spies.
Ages 9–12
Grades 4–6
5 historical trials
No screens
Real evidence. Real history. A mystery your child has to solve.
One-time purchase · Everything needed is included
Risk-free: If you’re unhappy for any reason, we’ll make it right.
This has been so fun—my daughter actually asked me to do Envelope 4 last night after school had been over because she wanted to get to it. lol (that never happens)
— Julie, mom of 4th graderNot a worksheet
Your child doesn't read about history. They investigate it.
Each numbered envelope gives them evidence to handle, compare, decode, and interpret. These are photos of the actual kit materials.
Spycraft
Crack a Culper Ring message
Work from the code book, intercepted message, and evidence cards pictured here to decipher a Revolutionary War spy communication.
The full case
Use spy tools. Finish the case. Join the Society.
The complete kit includes hands-on spycraft materials, historical documents, evidence cards, and the Level 1 Initiate certificate pictured here for kids who complete the case.
See all five historical trials
- Boston Tea Party, 1773: compare two eyewitness accounts and catch the contradiction.
- Paul Revere, 1775: use his own account and a period map to reconstruct the ride.
- Valley Forge, 1777–78: sort fragmented evidence to identify four real people who helped Washington's army.
- Culper Ring, 1778–83: restore part of a real wartime code system and decode a message.
- Yorktown, 1781: solve the hardest final dispatch and uncover the role of a real Revolutionary War spy.
Inside the case file
Everything arrives ready to investigate.
No printing. No app. No pile of worksheets to prep.
- 7 numbered envelopes opened one at a time: recruitment, five trials, and the conclusion.
- Historical maps, testimony, letters, and evidence cards used to solve each case.
- Invisible-ink materials for a hands-on spycraft challenge.
- A Culper Ring codebook reproduction used in the cipher trial.
- A Level 1 Initiate certificate earned when the case file is complete.
Built from the historical record
The history isn't decoration. It's the game.
The puzzles are built around source material from the Revolution rather than generic trivia with a colonial theme.
Eyewitness testimony
Kids compare accounts, look for contradictions, and decide what the evidence supports.
Historical maps & accounts
Events like Paul Revere's ride become something to reconstruct instead of a paragraph to memorize.
Real spy methods
Invisible ink and the Culper Ring's numerical code system become tools the child actually has to use.
The goal is simple: the child learns the story because solving the case requires understanding it.
For parents
What you need to know before ordering
Who is it for?
Designed for ages 9–12, roughly grades 4–6. An adult can absolutely join the investigation, but the child gets to be the detective.
Do I need to prep anything?
No. The printed evidence and hands-on materials are included. Open the numbered envelopes in order and begin.
Is a screen required?
No. The core experience is physical: envelopes, cards, maps, documents, codes, and clues.
Is this a subscription?
No. Case File 001 is a one-time purchase. More Secret History Society cases can come later without committing you to a subscription.
Risk-free.
If you’re unhappy for any reason, we’ll make it right.
Made by a history-and-learning product designer — and a parent.
Secret History Society was created by Danny, a reading and history product designer with 12+ years in the field, including at Renaissance Learning, who wanted history to feel like something kids could actually uncover.
Open Case File 001.
Five historical mysteries. Real evidence and spycraft. Everything your child needs to begin investigating the American Revolution.
Get Case File 001 — $29.99Want to try something first?
Solve a free mini-case.
This short puzzle is a free taste of the Secret History Society world. The full kit goes much deeper with physical evidence, maps, primary sources, and codes.
Free Mini-Case
The Vanishing Army
August 27th, 1776. Washington's army is about to lose the war. A few weeks after declaring independence, the Continental Army has lost a big battle on Long Island, and things do not look good. Can you figure out how they escaped?
Ms. Whitfield unlocks a drawer in the historical society archive. "Most people think the Revolution was won on a battlefield. This one very nearly ended it. Ten thousand British troops just outflanked Washington's army on Long Island — trapped against the East River with nowhere to go. Solve this, and you'll know exactly how a beaten army escaped certain defeat."
— from the archive transcript
I came at the hour armies most fear,
when nine thousand men had nowhere clear —
pinned to a river, their backs to the sea,
a beaten army with no way to flee.
Washington ordered the oars wrapped tight,
wagon wheels muffled, not a sound in the night.
Fires were left in the camp, burning bright,
so the enemy dreamed the army's still in sight.
Boat after boat, they slipped away,
fishermen rowing till the break of day.
But dawn nearly caught them, the sun climbing higher —
until something rolled in and hid them entire.
Not a soldier. Not a spy. Not a single gun.
I came from nowhere, and stayed till the crossing was done.
I hid nine thousand men from an army's plain sight.What am I, that saved Washington's men that night?
One more step
Enter your email to see if you cracked it.
Case solved
The fog rolled in — and hid nine thousand men.
The full case file replaces the riddle format with deeper investigations using physical evidence, maps, primary sources, and codes.
This has been so fun—my daughter actually asked me to do Envelope 4 last night after school had been over because she wanted to get to it. lol (that never happens)
— Julie, mom of 4th graderWant to hear when the next case opens?
Leave your email and we'll send the next Secret History Society case file when it's ready.