Margaret “Peggy” Shippen Arnold (1760-1804) – This notorious Revolutionary War spy belonged to a prominent Philadelphia family of Loyalist sympathizers who hosted parties for British officers when the British occupied Philadelphia. A young Shippen and her friends were known for sending coded messages—both romantic and strategic in nature—past enemy lines. At age 18, Shippen set her sights on Continental Army General Benedict Arnold, resident of the Masters-Penn House (later The President’s House). The couple married in 1779, as Arnold became increasingly disillusioned with the American cause. The next summer, Arnold schemed to surrender West Point to the British, sending secret papers through Shippen’s longtime friend, British Major John André, who was discovered and hanged as a traitor for his actions. Arnold, however, escaped capture when Shippen delayed General Washington’s pursuit of her husband by claiming no knowledge of his activities and feigning hysteria during a meeting with the general.