Alice Adams was born to Captain Samuel Adams and his wife in 1756. At some point, Alice's mother remarried to Deacon Hale. Deacon had three daughters and nine sons, one of which was Nathan Hale. Nathan Hale was an American solider during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for intelligence gather, and was a spy for the Continental Army. Nathan and Alice became very fond of one another, but Alice was convinced to marry Major Ripley. Two years into their marriage, Major Ripley died, leaving Alice a widow. Nathan and Alice rekindled their love, but it was cut short when Nathan was captured by the British on a mission in New York City. He was executed on September 22, 1776. Some time afterward, Alice remarried to William Lawrence. This was considered to be a marriage solely for financial reasons, though all in all it seemed to be a happy one.

The romance between Alice and Nathan was a story that transcended years after the American Revolution. So much so that her great-granddaughters wrote and publishd their story. Nathan Hale was dubbed an American hero, and in 1985 he was designated Connecticut's state hero.