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 While there, his loyalties began to change. During his term as governor, rumors, not entirely unfounded, circulated through Philadelphia accusing Arnold of abusing his position for his personal profit. 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 , 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. West Point remained in American hands, and Arnold only received a portion of his promised bounty. Arnold soon became one of the most reviled figures in U. Ironically, his treason became his final service to the American cause.
By , Americans had grown frustrated with the slow progress toward independence and their numerous battlefield defeats. 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 , Arnold resided in England. He died in London on June 14, , at age The British regarded him with ambivalence, while his former countrymen despised him.
But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Arnold was a successful merchant and smuggler. Arnold attended private schools during his adolescence, but was forced to end his education at age 14 after his merchant seaman father fell on hard times and slipped into alcoholism.
Young Benedict spent the next eight years as Benedict Arnold was once a patriotic war hero valued by George Washington and admired by his men. But now his name is synonymous with traitor. On June 27, , the Continental Congress authorized the invasion of Quebec partly at the urging of Arnold.
But Congress gave General Philip Schuyler the command. Arnold was passed over but not pacified. He proposed a second invasion of Canada to General George Washington to lead a second expedition to attack via a wilderness route. The ill-fated mission ran into problems from the outset—discovered plans, inclement weather and poor timing caused the battle to fail. Early on, Arnold received a severe leg wound and was carried off the field. The battle raged on but ultimately led to a humiliating defeat for the Americans.
Adding to his problems, Arnold proved to be a divisive figure. Though he fought heroically in conflicts, including the Battle of Lake Champlain in and Battle of Saratoga in October , he made many enemies including some of his superior officers.
He often felt he did not receive the recognition he deserved and by the end of the year, he had threatened to resign from the Continental Army. After the British withdrawal from Philadelphia in the spring of , Washington appointed Arnold the military commander of the city.
While commanding in Philadelphia, Arnold met and married Peggy Shippen , 20 years his junior, the daughter of a Loyalist sympathizer. The marriage brought him the social status he craved, but not the wealth to match it.
He was brought up on charges and court-martialed in May He was acquitted of most charges and received a mild reprimand from General Washington. By the following summer, Arnold was providing the British with troop locations, as well as the locations of supply depots.
Arnold gained access to even more sensitive information when he assumed command of West Point in August At the same time, Arnold began transferring his personal assets from Connecticut to England.
This evidence was sent to General Washington. Arnold was also investigated by the Continental Congress during his service and faced various accusations from opponents. Frustrated by the opposition he encountered, Arnold eventually started working for the British even while continuing to serve in the Continental Army. Arnold's name has become synonymous with treasonous behavior and is perhaps one of the most infamous figures in American history.
Benedict Arnold was born in to a prominent Connecticut family. Arnold lost most of his siblings to yellow fever, calamitous events that triggered alcoholism in his father. As a teenager, Arnold's family faced financial hardship.
During the s, Arnold started a successful apothecary business. Arnold's role as a prominent businessman brought him into direct conflict with both the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act, where the British government sought to regulate and tax colonial business transactions.
Arnold joined the Sons of Liberty and continued his business in defiance of the British acts, effectively becoming a smuggler. He was elected to the position of captain in the Connecticut militia in , and participated in the siege of Boston , the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, and the Battle of Saratoga where he received a leg wound. Despite this service, Arnold was the focus of hostility from multiple officers in the Continental Army.
Arnold brought complaints against Moses Hazen which led to his court-martial. Afterwards, Hazen leveled counter charges.
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