Benedict Arnold

HERO

TRAITOR

Childhood

• Benedict Arnold V was born on Jan 14, 1741 into a wealthy tradinfamily in Rhode Island

• Father married and worked his way into wealth, reversing a downward trend and bringing glory and respect back to the name

• Shaped by three sets of experience– Incessant warfare of 18th century

• Formulated impressions about central role of warfare in deciding rational differences

– Religious turmoil of the first Great Awakening

– Killer epidemics that besieged portions of New England

Pre-revolution

• Apprentice apothecary 1756-1760

• Junior associate 1760

• With his sister, forced to deal with family’s death and near financial ruin

• Ship captain in 1765

• Fined for “disturbing the peace” after public whipping of a former crewman bent on informing on the captain’s smuggling activities

Beginnings

• 1774 – Organized in a militia company

• 1775 – Militia named Governor’s 2d Company of

Guards with Arnold as its Captain– Arnold forces town officials to arm his

men and marched them to Massachusetts– Promoted to Colonel in Massachusetts’

service and assigned up to 400 men to take Fort Ticonderoga

– Joining Ethan Allen’s forces, they took the fort with no casualties• The command differences between Allen and

Arnold led to a division that never healedArnold and Allen take Ticonderoga

Hero

• Assumed command of Champlain Falls– Used a captured schooner to

carry troops into St. Johns and captured a 70 ton British sloop of war

• Led the march onto Quebec through inhospitable terrain, maintaining discipline and morale

• Countered and defeated the British at Saratoga, against the implied orders of his superior Horatio Gates B. Arnold at Saratoge

Traitor

• Even with his accomplishments, Arnold had many detractors who used his political naivety against him

• Even one-time supporters like Horatio Gates, led campaigns to show themselves better suited for leadership

• The lack of congress to reach timely decisions and take blame for their decisions vexed Arnold and eroded his belief in their leadership towards independence– Political promotions for individuals without skill– Lack of timely material support

• Last straw was guilty verdict he misused his military authority and the subsequent reprimand from General Washington

B. Arnold flees to the British

Aftermath

• Arnold appointed British Brigadier General who leads a strike against New London, Conn

• After war Arnold settles in New Brunswich, Canada as a merchant– Later forced to relocate to

London

• He died on June 14, 1801 in near poverty