Benedict Arnold - American Revolution - HISTORY.com Google Early Life Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Connecticut . His mother came from a wealthy family, but his father squandered their estate. As a young man, Arnold apprenticed at an apothecary business and served in the militia during the French and Indian War (1754-63). Did You Know? In an unusual tribute to an ex-hero, a statue near the Saratoga battlefield commemorates Benedict Arnold's leg, which he wounded badly both there and in Quebec in combat against the British before his betrayal. The statue shows nothing of Arnold's body but his leg, and doesn't mention him by name. In 1767, Arnold, who became a prosperous trader, married Margaret Mansfield. The couple had three children before Margaret’s death in 1775. Hero of the American Revolution When the Revolutionary War broke out between Great Britain and its 13 American colonies in April 1775, Arnold joined the Continental Army.

Acting under a commission from the revolutionary government of Massachusetts , Arnold partnered with Vermont frontiersman Ethan Allen (1738-89) and Allen’s Green Mountain Boys to capture the unsuspecting British garrison at Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York on May 10, 1775. Later that year, Arnold led an ill-fated expedition on a harrowing trek from Maine to Quebec. The purpose of the expedition was to rally the inhabitants of Canada behind the Patriot cause and deprive the British government of a northern base from which to mount strikes into the 13 colonies. With the enlistments of many of his men expiring on New Year’s Day, Arnold had no choice but to launch a desperate attack against well-fortified Quebec City through a blizzard on December 31, 1775. Early in the battle, Arnold received a grave wound to his leg and was carried to the back of the battlefield. The assault continued, but failed miserably. Hundreds of American soldiers were killed, wounded or captured, and Canada remained in British hands. By the later part of 1776, Arnold had recovered sufficiently from his wound to once again take the field.

He played a crucial role in hindering a British invasion from Canada into New York in the autumn of that year. Correctly predicting that British General Guy Carleton (1724-1808) would sail an invading force down Lake Champlain, Arnold supervised the hasty construction of an American flotilla on that lake to meet Carleton’s fleet. On October 11, 1776, the American fleet surprised its foe near Valcour Bay. Although Carleton’s flotilla drove the Americans away, Arnold’s action delayed Carleton’s approach long enough that, by the time the British general reached New York, the battle season was near an end, and the British had to return to Canada. Arnold’s performance at the Battle of Lake Champlain rescued the Patriot cause from potential disaster. Despite his heroic service, Arnold felt he did not receive the recognition he deserved. He resigned from the Continental Army in 1777 after Congress promoted five junior officers above him. General George Washington (1732-99), the commander in chief of the Continental Army, urged Arnold to reconsider.

Arnold rejoined the army in time to participate in the defense of central New York from an invading British force under General John Burgoyne in the fall of 1777. In the battles against Burgoyne, Arnold served under General Horatio Gates (1728-1806), an officer whom Arnold came to hold in contempt. The antipathy was mutual, and Gates at one point relieved Arnold of his command. Nonetheless, at the pivotal Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, Arnold defied Gates’ authority and took command of a group of American soldiers whom he led in an assault against the British line. Arnold’s attack threw the enemy into disarray and contributed greatly to the American victory. Ten days later, Burgoyne surrendered his entire army at Saratoga. News of the surrender convinced France to enter the war on the side of the Americans. Once again, Arnold had brought his country a step closer to independence. However, Gates downplayed Arnold’s contributions in his official reports and claimed most of the credit for himself. Meanwhile, Arnold seriously wounded the same leg he had injured at Quebec in the battle.

Rendered temporarily incapable of a field command, he accepted the position of military governor of Philadelphia in 1778. While there, his loyalties began to change. A Treacherous Plot During his term as governor, rumors, not entirely unfounded, circulated through Philadelphia accusing Arnold of abusing his position for his personal profit. Questions were also raised about Arnold’s courtship and marriage to the young Peggy Shippen (1760-1804), the daughter of a man suspected of Loyalist sympathies. Arnold and his second wife, with whom he would have five children, lived a lavish lifestyle in Philadelphia, accumulating substantial debt. The debt and the resentment Arnold felt over not being promoted faster were motivating factors in his choice to become a turncoat. He concluded that his interests would be better served assisting the British than continuing to suffer for an American army he saw as ungrateful. By the end of 1779, Arnold had begun secret negotiations with the British to surrender the American fort at West Point, New York, in return for money and a command in the British army. Arnold’s chief intermediary was British Major John André (1750-80).

André was captured in September 1780, while crossing between British and American lines, disguised in civilian clothes. Papers found on André incriminated Arnold in treason. Learning of André’s capture, Arnold fled to British lines before the Patriots could arrest him. West Point remained in American hands, and Arnold only received a portion of his promised bounty. André was hanged as a spy in October 1780. Arnold soon became one of the most reviled figures in U.S. history. Ironically, his treason became his final service to the American cause. By 1780, Americans had grown frustrated with the slow progress toward independence and their numerous battlefield defeats. However, word of Arnold’s treachery re-energized the Patriots’ sagging morale. Later Life After fleeing to the enemy side, Arnold received a commission with the British army and served in several minor engagements against the Americans. After the war, which ended in victory for the Americans with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Arnold resided in England. He died in London on June 14, 1801, at age 60.

The British regarded him with ambivalence, while his former countrymen despised him. Following his death, Arnold’s memory lived on in the land of his birth, where his name became synonymous with the word “traitor.” Tags Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (January 14, 1741 – June 14, 1801) American Revolutionary War Major general who defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and planned to surrender it to the British forces. In September 1780, after his plan to surrender West Point was exposed, Arnold was commissioned into the British Army as a brigadier general. Pages Benedict Arnold Revolutionary War Major General ARNOLD, Benedict, soldier, born in Norwich, Connecticut, 14 Jan., 1741; died in London, England, 14 June, 1801. His ancestor, William Arnold (born in Leamington, Warwickshire, in 1587), came to Providence in 1636, and was associated with Roger Williams as one of the fifty-four proprietors in the first settlement of Rhode island.

His son Benedict moved to Newport, and was governor of the colony from 1663 to 1666, 1669 to 1672, 1677 to 1678, when he died. His son Benedict was a member of the assembly in 1695. His son Benedict, third of that name, moved to Norwich in 1730; was cooper, ship-owner, and sea-captain, town surveyor, collector, assessor, and selectman. He married, 8 Nov., 1733, Hannah, daughter of John Waterman, widow of Absalom King. Of their six children, only Benedict and Hannah lived to grow up. Benedict received a respectable school education, including some knowledge of Latin. He was romantic and adventurous, excessively proud and sensitive, governed rather by impulse than by principle. He was noted for physical strength and beauty, as well as for bravery. He possessed immense capacity both for good and for evil, and circumstances developed him in both directions.

At the age of fifteen he ran away from home and enlisted in the Connecticut army, marching to Albany and Lake George to resist the French invasion; but, getting weary of discipline, he deserted and made his way home alone through the wilderness. He was employed in a drug shop at Norwich until 1762, when he removed to New Haven and established himself in business as druggist and bookseller. He acquired a considerable property, and engaged in the West India trade, sometimes commanding his own ships, as his father had done. He also carried on trade with Canada, and often visited Quebec. On 22 Feb., 1767, he married Margaret, daughter of Samuel Mansfield. They had three sons, Benedict, Richard, and Henry. She died 19 June, 1775. On one of his voyages, being at Honduras, he fought a duel with a British sea-captain who called him a "Damn Yankee"; the captain was wounded and apologized. He occasionally visited England. Media Alert By: Stanley Yavneh Klos Edited By: Naomi Yavneh Klos, Ph.D.

First United American Republic: United Colonies of North America: 13 British Colonies United in Congress was founded by 12 colonies on September 5th, 1774 (Georgia joined in 1775) and governed through a British Colonial Continental Congress . Peyton Randolph and George Washington served, respectively, as the Republic's first President and Commander-in-Chief; Second United American Republic: The United States of America: 13 Independent States United in Congress was founded by 12 states on July 2nd, 1776 (New York abstained until July 8th), and governed through the United States Continental Congress . John Hancock and George Washington served, respectively, as the Republic's first President and Commander-in-Chief; Third United American Republic: The United States of America: A Perpetual Union was founded by 13 States on March 1st, 1781, with the enactment of the first U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation , and governed through the United States in Congress Assembled .

Samuel Huntington and George Washington served, respectively, as the Republic's first President and Commander-in-Chief; Fourth United American Republic: The United States of America: We the People was formed by 11 states on March 4th, 1789 (North Carolina and Rhode Island joined in November 1789 and May 1790, respectively), with the enactment of the U.S. Constitution of 1787. The fourth and current United States Republic governs through the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in Congress Assembled, the U.S. President and Commander-in-Chief, and the U.S. Supreme Court. George Washington served as the Republic's first President and Commander-in-Chief. Capitals of the United States and Colonies of America Philadelphia Two US Capitol Buildings At noon of 20 April, 1775, the news of the Battle of Lexington reached New Haven, and Arnold, who was captain of the governor's guards, about 60 in number, assembled them on the college green and offered to lead them to Boston. Gen.

Wooster thought he had better wait for regular orders, and the selectmen refused to supply ammunition; but, upon Arnold's threatening' to break into the magazine, the selectmen yielded and furnished the ammunition, and the company marched to Cambridge. Arnold immediately proposed the capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and the plan was approved by Dr. Warren , chairman of the committee of safety. Arnold was commissioned as colonel by the provincial congress of Massachusetts, and directed to raise 400 men in the western counties and surprise the forts. The same scheme had been entertained in Connecticut, and troops from that colony and from Berkshire, with a number of "Green Mountain Boys," had already started for the lakes under command of Ethan Allen . On meeting them Arnold claimed the command, but when it was refused he joined the expedition as a volunteer and entered Ticonderoga side by side with Allen. A few days later Arnold captured St. John's. Massachusetts asked Connecticut to put him in command of these posts, but Connecticut preferred Allen.

Arnold returned to Cambridge early in July, proposed to Washington the expedition against Quebec by way of the Kennebec and Chaudiere rivers, and was placed in command of 1,100 men and started from Cambridge 11 Sept. The enterprise, which was as difficult and dangerous as Hannibal 's crossing of the Alps, was conducted with consummate ability, but was nearly ruined by the misconduct of Col. Enos, who deserted and returned to Massachusetts with 200 men and the greater part of the provisions. After frightful hardships, to which 200 more men succumbed, on 13 Nov., the little army climbed the heights of Abraham. As Arnold's force was insufficient to storm the city, and the garrison would not come out to fight, he was obliged to await the arrival of Montgomery, who had just taken Montreal. In the great assault of 31 Dec., in which Montgomery was slain, Arnold received a wound in the leg. For his gallantry he was now made brigadier-general. He kept up the siege of Quebec till the following April, when Wooster arrived and took command. Arnold was put in command of Montreal.

The British, being now heavily reinforced, were able to drive the Americans from Canada, and early in June Arnold effected a junction with Gates at Ticonderoga . During the summer he was busily occupied in building a fleet with which to oppose and delay the advance of the British up Lake Champlain . On 11 Oct. he fought a terrible naval battle near Valcour Island, in which he was defeated by the overwhelming superiority of the enemy in number of ships and men; but he brought away part of his flotilla and all his surviving troops in safety to Ticonderoga, and his resistance had been so obstinate that it discouraged Gen. Carleton, who retired to Montreal for the winter. This relief of Ticonderoga made it possible to send 3,000 men from the northern army to the aid of Washington , and thus enabled that commander to strike his great blows at Trenton and Princeton. Among Allen's men concerned in the capture of Ticonderoga in the preceding year was Lieut. John Brown, of Pittsfield, who on that occasion had some difficulty with Arnold.

Brown now brought charges against Arnold of malfeasance while in command at Montreal, with reference to exactions of private property for the use of the army. The charges were investigated by the board of war, which pronounced them "cruel and groundless" and entirely exonerated Arnold, and £he report was confirmed by congress. Nevertheless, a party hostile to Arnold had begun to grow up in that body. Gates had already begun to intrigue against Schuyler , and Charles Lee had done his best to ruin Washington. The cabal or faction that afterward took its name from Conway was already forming. Arnold was conspicuous as an intimate friend of Schuyler and Washington, and their enemies began by striking at him. This petty persecution of the commander-in-chief by slighting and insulting his favorite officers was kept up until the last year of the war, and such men as Greene , Morgan, and Stark were almost driven from the service by it. On 19 Feb., 1777, congress appointed five new major-generals--Stirling, Mifflin, St. Clair , Stephen, and Lincoln--thus passing over Arnold, who was the senior brigadier.

None of these officers had rendered services at all comparable to his, and, coming as it did so soon after his heroic conduct on Lake Champlain, this action of congress naturally incensed him. He behaved very well, however, and expressed his willingness to serve under the men lately his juniors, while at the same time he requested congress to restore him to his relative rank. Benedict Arnold's Major General Commission - Click Here The last week in April 2,000 British troops under Gov. Tryon invaded Connecticut and destroyed the military stores at Danbury. They were opposed by Wooster with 600 men, and a skirmish ensued, in which that general was slain. By this time Arnold, who was at New Haven, on a visit to his family, arrived on the scene with several hundred militia, and there was a desperate fight at Ridge-field, in which Arnold had two horses shot from under him. The British were driven to their ships, and narrowly escaped capture. Arnold was now pro-rooted to the rank of major-general and presented by congress with a fine horse, but his relative rank was not restored.

While he was at Philadelphia inquiring into the reasons for the injustice that had been done him, the country was thrown into consternation by the news of Burgoyne's advance and the fall of Ticonderoga's. At Washington's suggestion, Arnold again joined the northern army, and by a brilliant stratagem dispersed the army of St. Leger, which, in cooperation with Burgoyne , was coming down the Mohawk valley, and had laid siege to Fort Stanwix. After Schuyler had been superseded by Gates, Arnold was placed in command of the left wing of the army on Bemis heights. In the battle of 19 Sept., at Freeman's farm, he frustrated Burgoyne's attempt to turn the American left, and held the enemy at bay till nightfall. If properly reinforced by Gates, he would probably have inflicted a crushing defeat upon Burgoyne. But Gates, who had already begun to dislike him as a friend of Schuyler, was enraged by his criticisms on the battle of Freeman's farm, and sought to wreak his spite by withdrawing from his division some of its best troops.

Benedict Arnold’s Oath of Allegiance - In 1778, Benedict Arnold, like all military officers, swore allegiance to his country. In 1780 General Arnold betrayed his oath by conspiring to surrender West Point to the British. - From the War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records National Archives This gave rise to a fierce quarrel. Arnold asked permission to return to Philadelphia, and Gates granted it. But many officers, knowing that a decisive battle was imminent, and feeling no confidence in Gates, entreated Arnold to remain, and he did so. Gates issued no order directly superseding him, but took command of the left wing in person, giving the right wing to Lincoln . At the critical moment of the decisive battle of 7 Oct., Arnold rushed upon the field without orders, and in a series of magnificent charges broke through the British lines and put them to flight. The credit of this great victory, which secured for us the alliance with France, is due chiefly to Arnold, and in a less degree to Morgan. Gates was not on the field, and deserves no credit whatever. Just at the close of the battle Arnold was severely wounded in the leg that had been hurt at Quebec.

He was carried on a litter to Albany, and remained there disabled until spring. On 20 Jan., 1778, he received from congress an antedated commission restoring him to his original seniority in the army. The scene of the surrender of the British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, on October 17, 1777, was painted by John Trumbull. This victory marked a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. Major figures in the painting (from left to right, beginning with mounted officer): American Captain Seymour of Connecticut (mounted) American Colonel Scammel of New Hampshire (in blue) British Major General William Phillips (British Army officer) (in red) British Lieutenant General John Burgoyne (in red) American Major General Horatio Gates (in blue) American Colonel Daniel Morgan (in white) On 19 June, as he was still too lame for field service, Washington put him in command of Philadelphia, which the British had just evacuated. The Tory sentiment in that city was strong, and had been strengthened by disgust at the alliance with France, a feeling which Arnold seems to have shared.

He soon became engaged to a Tory lady, Margaret, daughter of Edward Shippen, afterward chief justice of Pennsylvania. She was celebrated for her beauty, wit, and nobility of character. During the next two years Arnold associated much with the Tories, and his views of public affairs were no doubt influenced by this association. He lived extravagantly, and became involved in debt. He got into quarrels with many persons, especially with Joseph Reed , president of the executive council of the state. These troubles wrought upon him until he made up his mind to resign his commission, obtain a grant of land in central New York, settle it with some of his old soldiers, and end his days in rural seclusion. His request was favorably entertained by the New York legislature, but a long list of charges now brought against him by Reed drove the scheme from his mind. The charges were investigated by a committee of congress, and on all those that affected his integrity he was acquitted.

Two charges -- first, of having once in a hurry granted a pass in which some due forms were overlooked, and, secondly, of having once used some public wagons, which were standing idle, for saving private property in danger from the enemy--were proved against him; but the committee thought these things too trivial to notice, and recommended an unqualified verdict of acquittal. Arnold then, considering himself vindicated, resigned his command of Philadelphia. But as Reed now represented that further evidence was forthcoming, congress referred the matter to another committee, which shirked the responsibility through fear of offending Pennsylvania, and handed the affair over to a court-martial. Arnold clamored for a speedy trial, but Reed succeeded in delaying it several months under pretence of collecting evidence. On 26 Jan., 1780, the court-martial rendered its verdict, which agreed in every particular with that of the committee of congress; but for the two trivial charges proved against Arnold, it was decided that he should receive a reprimand from the commander-in-chief.

Washington, who considered Arnold the victim of persecution, couched the reprimand in such terms as to convert it into eulogy, and soon afterward offered Arnold the highest command under himself in the northern army for the next campaign. But Arnold in an evil hour had allowed himself to be persuaded into the course that has blackened his name forever. Three years had elapsed since Saratoga , and the fortunes of the Americans, instead of improving, had grown worse and worse. France had as yet done but little for us, our southern army had been annihilated, our paper money had become worthless, our credit abroad had hardly begun to exist. Even Washington wrote that "he had almost ceased to hope."The army, clad in rags, half-starved and unpaid, was nearly ripe for the mutiny that broke out a few months later, and desertions to the British lines averaged more than 100 a month. The spirit of desertion now seized upon Arnold, with whom the British commander had for some time tampered through the mediation of John Andre and an American loyalist, Beverley Robinson. Stung by the injustice he had suffered, and influenced by history surroundings, Arnold made up his mind to play a part like that which Gen.

Monk had played in the restoration of Charles II. to the British throne. By putting the British in possession of the Hudson river, he would give them all that they had sought to obtain by the campaigns of 1776-'77; and the American cause would thus become so hopeless that an opportunity would be offered for negotiation. Arnold was assured that Lord North would renew the liberal terms already offered in 1778, which conceded everything that the Americans had demanded in 1775. By rendering a cardinal service to the British, he might hope to attain a position of such eminence as to conduct these negotiations, end the war, and restore America to her old allegiance, with her freedom from parliamentary control guaranteed. In order to realize these ambitious dreams, Arnold resorted to the blackest treachery. In July, 1780, he sought and obtained command of West Point in order to surrender it to the enemy. When his scheme was detected by the timely capture of Andre, he fled to the British at New York, a disgraced and hated traitor. Instead of getting control of affairs, like Gen.

Monk, he had sold himself cheap, receiving a brigadier-general's place in the British army and a paltry stun of money. In the spring of 1781 he conducted a plundering expedition into Virginia. In September of the same year he was sent to attack New London, in order to divert Washington from his southward march against Cornwallis . In the following winter he went with his wife to London, where he was well received by the king and the Tories, but frowned upon by the Whigs. In 1787 he removed to St. John's, New Brunswick, and entered into mercantile business with his sons Richard and Henry. In 1791 he returned to London and settled there permanently. In 1792 he fought a bloodless duel with the earl of Landerdale, for a remark which the latter had made about him in the House of Lords. His last years were embittered by remorse. The illustration is a view of Col. Beverley Robinson's house , opposite West Point, which was occupied by Arnold as his headquarters. It is now the property of Hen. Hamilton Fish. His life has been written by Sparks in vol. iii.

of his "American Biographies," and more fully by Isaac Newton Arnold, " Life of Benedict Arnold, his Patriotism and his Treason" (Chicago, 1880). -- Edited Appleton's American Biography ARNOLD WARNS OF THE ATTACK ON THE CEDARS. A fine letter at the latter stages of the Canadian invasion. Arnold had left the siege of Quebec in the hands of General Wooster and gone to Montreal to recuperate, where he learned of an impending attack on the small American garrison at The Cedars, on the St. Lawrence just west of Montreal, commanded by Bedel: ‘I have received certain intelligence,., that the Inhabitants of Isle Perot. River des Chenes, quinchien {Quinze Chiens] and the Cedars; Parishes near your Post...are united in a design of cutting off your party. This Intelligence is Just come to hand, and I have thought proper to send an express to acquaint you with it. You will take every possible precaution to prevent a surprise by keeping your men as near together as can be and Fortifying as well as your Situation will a1ow. Two Hundred Men from Sr.

Johns are ordered to Join you Immediately Write me by return of the Bearer who has orders to hurry on the Ammunition etc to you:' In May The Cedars was attacked by bout 500 Indians and 150 French and English- The ill fated garrison and the relief column from Montreal were captured. Two prisoners were executed and four or five were later tortured and killed by the Indians; the survivors were finally turned over to Arnold. By June the American invasion of Canada was in disarray and a withdrawal was ordered. Book a primary source exhibit and a professional speaker for your next event by contacting Historic.us today. Our Clients include many Fortune 500 companies, associations, non-profits, colleges, universities, national conventions, pr and advertising agencies. As the leading exhibitor of primary sources, many of our clients have benefited from our historic displays that are designed to entertain and educate your target audience. Contact us to learn how you can join our "roster" of satisfied clientele today!

Historic.us The American Revolution - (Benedict Arnold) Born 01/14/1741 in Norwich, Connecticut Died 06/14/1801 in London, England Biography Overview Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental Army but switched sides to the British Empire. While he was still a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted unsuccessfully to surrender it to the British. After the plot failed, he served in the British military. Arnold has been called "the best general on either side of the conflict". He distinguished himself early in the war through acts of cunning and bravery. His many successful actions included the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, successful defensive and delaying tactics while losing the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain in 1776, the Battle of Ridgefield, Connecticut (after which he was promoted to Major General), and the pivotal Battles of Saratoga in 1777, in which he suffered leg injuries that effectively ended his combat career for several years.

In spite of his success, Arnold was passed over for promotion by the Continental Congress while other general officers took credit for his many accomplishments. Charges of corruption were brought by political adversaries, and Congress investigated his accounts, finding he owed it money after he had spent much of his own money on the war effort. Frustrated, bitter, and strongly opposed to the new American alliance with France, Arnold decided to change sides in 1779. In July 1780, he sought and obtained command of West Point in order to surrender it to the British. Arnold's scheme was exposed when American forces captured British Major John AndrÃ© carrying papers that revealed the plot. Upon learning of AndrÃ©'s capture, Benedict Arnold escaped down the Hudson River to the British sloop-of-war Vulture, narrowly avoiding capture by the forces of General Washington, who was arriving the same day to inspect West Point and to meet and dine with Arnold. Arnold received a commission as a brigadier general in the British Army, an annual pension of Â£360, and a lump sum of over Â£6,000.

He led British forces at Blanford, Virginia and Groton, Connecticut before the war effectively came to an end with the Siege of Yorktown. In the winter of 1782, Arnold moved to London with his second wife, Margaret "Peggy" Shippen Arnold. He was well received by King George III and the Tories but frowned upon by the Whigs. In 1787, he entered into mercantile business with his sons Richard and Henry in Saint John, New Brunswick, but returned to London to settle permanently in 1791, where he died. Because of the way he changed sides his name quickly became a byword for treason in the United States. This conflicting legacy is recalled in the ambiguous nature of some of the memorials that have been placed in his honor. Early life Benedict was born the second of six children to Benedict Arnold III (1683â1761) and Hannah Waterman King in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. He was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold, an early governor of the Colony of Rhode Island, and his brother Benedict IV, who died in infancy.

Only Benedict and his sister Hannah survived to adulthood; his other siblings succumbed to yellow fever in childhood. Through his maternal grandmother, Arnold was a descendant of John Lothropp, an ancestor of at least four U.S. presidents.[8] Arnold's father was a successful businessman, and the family moved in the upper levels of Norwich society. When he was ten, Arnold was enrolled into a private academy in nearby Canterbury, with the expectation that he would eventually attend Yale. However, the deaths of his siblings two years later may have contributed to a decline in the family fortunes, as his father took up drinking. By the time he was fourteen, there was no more money for private education. His father's alcoholism and ill health prevented him from training Arnold in the family mercantile business, but his mother's family connections secured an apprenticeship for Arnold with two of her cousins, brothers Daniel and Joshua Lathrop, who operated a successful apothecary and general merchandise trade in Norwich. His apprenticeship with the Lathrops lasted seven years.[10] In 1755, Arnold, attracted by the sound of a drummer, attempted to enlist in the provincial militia for service against the French, but his mother refused permission.

In 1757, when he was sixteen, he did enlist in the militia, which marched off toward Albany and Lake George to oppose the French invasion from the French province of Canada that culminated in the Battle of Fort William Henry. Word of that battle's disastrous outcome led the company to turn around; Arnold served for 13 days. A commonly accepted story that Arnold deserted from militia service in 1758 is based on uncertain documentary evidence. Arnold's mother, to whom he was very close, died in 1759. The youth took on the responsibility of supporting his father and younger sister. His father's alcoholism worsened after the death of his wife, and he was arrested on several occasions for public drunkenness and was refused communion by his church; he died in 1761.[10] Benedict Arnold Biography (Military Leader/Traitor) Birthplace: Norwich, Connecticut Best known as: The great traitor of the American Revolution One of history's best-known traitors, Benedict Arnold was a successful general from Connecticut during the American Revolutionary War -- until he switched sides and was caught trying to help the British in 1780.

Benedict Arnold grew up in a well-to-do family that had hit hard times by the time he became an adult. He apprenticed at an apothecary shop as a young man and fought in the French and Indian War. After a trip to Europe, Arnold settled in New Haven, Connecticut and opened his own apothecary shop, just a few years before the colonists' fight for independence began. Benedict Arnold joined the fight and was considered a hero at battles in Saratoga, New York and Quebec. But he had a hard time getting along with other commanders and continually felt slighted by the upper brass, despite personal encouragement from General George Washington . By 1780, Arnold's dissatisfaction led him to contact the British and offer his services. He and British Major John Andre conspired to help the British seize control of West Point, an American fort on the Hudson River, but Andre was caught and the plan was revealed. Arnold escaped to the British side and Andre was hanged as a spy. For the remainder of the war, Benedict Arnold led British forces against American colonists. After the British lost the war, Arnold settled in London as an officer.

The British didn't exactly welcome him as a hero, and the rest of his military career was forgettable. He started a not-very-successful shipping business, and died in London in 1801. However, his name lives on in the United States as a byword for treachery. Extra credit: West Point, the fort Benedict Arnold conspired to seize, later became the United States Military Academy at West Point — the primary military school for officers of the U.S. Army. Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved. Benedict Arnold - Revolutionary War Traitor By Martin Kelly Updated December 29, 2015. In 1764, Benedict Arnold was operating a partnership with a fellow merchant. They had purchased three ships to conduct trade with the West Indies. Although they were successful at first, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765 which negatively impacted mercantile trade in the North American colonies; and more importantly caused Arnold to join the Sons of Liberty.

The Sons of Liberty had been formed to fight British taxation in the American colonies due to their belief that there should be “no taxation without representation” and it was this group who were responsible for the Boston Tea Party in 1773. At the start of the Revolutionary War, Arnold was appointed to the rank of Captain in the Connecticut Militia. He played a positive role for the militiamen at the Siege of Boston and in May 1775 was an instrumental force at the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga. This battle was the Continental Army’s first victory of the war. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States At the Second Battle of Saratoga, Arnold broke orders from his superior officer and rode onto the battlefield, rallying troop. This led to a British retreat. At this battle, Arnold suffered a second severe leg injury which caused his career as either a soldier or a commander on the battlefield to come to an abrupt end. In May 1778, Arnold returned to the Continental Army at Valley Forge with his good friend General Washington at his side. Arnold gave his first Oath of Allegiance as a sign that he was loyal to the United States.

Shortly thereafter, he was appointed as the military governor of Philadelphia. It was during his tenure as governor that Benedict Arnold went from being Continental Army war hero to the most hated American traitor of that era. On April 9, 1779, Arnold, then 37, married Peggy Shippen – the 18-year-old daughter from one of the more prominent Philadelphia families that was known being loyal to the Crown. Philadelphia had been held by the British from September 26, 1777 until June 18, 1778, when they abandoned the city due to the France’s entry into the war on behalf of the American colonists. During that period, Peggy had become romantically friendly with British Major John André. However, they soon broke off their relationship. While governor, Arnold and his wife began to live a lifestyle that was well outside their financial means resulting in the accumulation of a substantial amount of debt. In addition, Arnold was accused of using his office to profit improperly on a personal level. At the same time, his detractors began to question his marriage to Peggy due to public sentiment that she and her family were thought to be loyalist sympathizers to the British.

Due to the public backlash against Arnold as well as his antipathy that General Washington had failed to promote him as quickly as he had believed would occur, in late 1779 Arnold began to negotiate with the British for the surrender of the fort at West Point, New York. He hoped to receive money and a command position in the British army. Peggy’s former flame, Major André, became the go-between in the negotiations with the British. But in September 1780, André was caught attempting to cross lines between the British and Continental Army while dressed in civilian clothes. Unfortunately for André, he was found to be in possession of papers from Arnold that were treasonous. Although Arnold had learned of André’s capture and was able to flee across enemy lines to fight for the British, André ended up being hanged in October 1780 as a spy. In an ironic twist – just as Arnold’s bravery at Saratoga had a positive impact on the American’s morale, the news that this traitor had been uncovered also swayed morale in a positive manner. After the American colonists were victorious in the war, Arnold moved to England where he died in 1804.

Arnold At Saratoga Pictures | Getty Images Arnold At Saratoga October 07, 1777 License Illustration showing Major General Benedict Arnold (1741 - 1801) rallying the...Illustration showing Major General Benedict Arnold (1741 - 1801) rallying the American troops and performing heroically during the Battle of Saratoga, during the American Revolutionary War, October 7, 1777. Published in Shinn's History of the American People, 1899. LessMore Benedict Arnold - Benedict Arnold Costume - Benedict Arnold Uniform Includes A Heritage Costumes Exclusive. Heritage Costumes has created a professional line of historical clothing and costumes. We specialize in authentic looking fashion and style. These high quality costumes are built to last, and can be used for many different characters and periods throughout history. With our Heritage line of revolutionary war uniforms your child can walk through the american revolution in one of our colonial re-enactment uniforms.

Benedict Arnold V (January 14, 1741 – June 14, 1801) was a general during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental Army but switched sides to the British Empire. While he was still a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted unsuccessfully to surrender it to the British. After the plot failed, Benedict Arnold served in the British military. Because of the way he changed sides the name Benedict Arnold quickly became a byword for treason in the United States. Your child will look and feel like one of the major players in the American War of Independence in this authentically detailed Benedict Arnold costume. Our revolutionary war general Benedict Arnold costume, Includes: revolutionary war frock coat (colonial military jacket) with contrasting tan trim, military vest with attached dickey, lace jabot, colonial military breeches and lace cuffs. Not Included, but a must for any Kids Benedict Arnold Costume, Possibles Bag , Black Powder Horn , Tricorner Hat , Tall Black Boot Spats , Colonial Wig and Military Sword to complete the perfect Colonial Solider Uniform.

Question: General Benedict Arnold switched allegiance to the British side during which war?
Answer: American War of Independence