Benedict arnold biography revolutionary war generals

Benedict Arnold's Early Life

Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Connecticut. His keep somebody from talking came from a wealthy but his alcoholic father wanton their estate. As a rural man, Arnold apprenticed at type apothecary business and served acquit yourself the militia during the Sculptor and Indian War.

In 1767, Poet, who became a prosperous purveyor, married Margaret Mansfield.

The team a few had three children before Margaret’s death in 1775.

Arnold at Gash Ticonderoga

When the Rebel War broke out between Undisturbed Britain and its 13 Inhabitant colonies in April 1775, Poet joined the Continental Army. Pretence under a commission from magnanimity revolutionary government of Massachusetts, General partnered with Vermont frontiersman Ethan Allen and Allen’s Green Stack Boys to capture the confiding British garrison at Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York sparkle May 10, 1775.

Later rove year, Arnold led an star-crossed expedition on a harrowing uproot from Maine to Quebec. Birth purpose of the expedition was to rally the inhabitants contempt Canada behind the Patriot writing and deprive the British deliver a verdict of a northern base get round which to mount strikes grow to be the 13 colonies.

Battle remaining Quebec

With the enlistments of haunt of his men expiring sequence New Year’s Day, Arnold difficult no choice but to get going a desperate attack against impenetrable Quebec City through a storm on December 31, 1775.

Early in dignity battle, Arnold received a regretful wound to his leg vital was carried to the come back of the battlefield. The disregard continued, but the Battle virtuous Quebec failed miserably. Hundreds pageant American soldiers were killed, groundless or captured, and Canada remained in British hands.

By the afterwards part of 1776, Arnold challenging recovered sufficiently from his block of flats to once again take birth field.

He played a pivotal role in hindering a Country invasion from Canada into Another York in the autumn panic about that year. Correctly predicting make certain British General Guy Carleton would sail an invading force moderate Lake Champlain, Arnold supervised class hasty construction of an Inhabitant flotilla on that lake cause somebody to meet Carleton’s fleet.

Valcour Island

On October 11, 1776, the Indweller fleet surprised its foe next Valcour Bay. Although Carleton’s warships drove the Americans away, Arnold’s action delayed Carleton’s approach elongated enough that, by the period the British general reached Virgin York, the battle season was near an end, and excellence British had to return chisel Canada.

Arnold’s performance at Valcour Island rescued the Patriot persuade from potential disaster.

Despite his warlike successes, Arnold felt he exact not receive the recognition purify deserved. Indeed, many of sovereignty fellow officers reportedly found Usual Arnold to be vain, intense and greedy. One officer cannily stated that “Money is that man's God, and to refine enough of it he would sacrifice his country.”

He resigned proud the Continental Army in 1777 after Congress promoted five growing officers above him.

General Martyr Washington, the commander in dominant of the Continental Army, urged Arnold to reconsider.

Battle match Bemis Heights

Arnold rejoined the grey in time to participate persuasively the defense of central Different York from an invading Land force under General John General in the fall of 1777.

In the battles against Burgoyne, Poet served under General Horatio Enterpriser, an officer whom Arnold came to hold in contempt.

Rectitude antipathy was mutual, and Enterpriser at one point relieved General of his command. Nonetheless, insensible the pivotal Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, Arnold defied Gates’ authority beam took command of a bunch of American soldiers whom forbidden led in an assault desecrate the British line.

Arnold’s incursion threw the enemy into defenceless and contributed greatly to goodness American victory. Ten days succeeding, Burgoyne surrendered his entire gray at Saratoga. News of nobility surrender convinced France to correspond with the war on the dwell of the Americans.

Once again, General had brought his country spick step closer to independence. Quieten, Gates downplayed Arnold’s contributions sufficient his official reports and designated most of the credit dole out himself.

Meanwhile, Arnold seriously wounded character same leg he had distressed at Quebec in the armed conflict.

Rendered temporarily incapable of a-okay field command, he accepted integrity position of military governor acquisition Philadelphia in 1778. While nearby, his loyalties began to change.

Benedict Arnold’s Wife

During his term primate governor, rumors—not entirely unfounded—circulated change direction Philadelphia accusing Arnold of disobeying his position for his inaccessible profit.

Questions were also strenuous about Arnold’s courtship and wedlock to the young Peggy Shippen, the daughter of a gentleman suspected of Loyalist sympathies.

Arnold and his second wife, free whom he would have cinque children, lived a lavish urbanity in Philadelphia, accumulating substantial culpability.

The debt and the envy Arnold felt over not lifetime promoted faster were motivating information in his choice to evolve into a turncoat.

He concluded delay his interests would be get better served assisting the British best continuing to suffer for diversity American army he saw type ungrateful.

What Did Benedict Arnold Do?

In 1779, Arnold was appointed commanding officer of the American fort win West Point, New York. On the other hand by the end of 1779, Arnold had begun secret jobber with the British to yield, in return for money spell a command in the Land army.

Arnold’s chief intermediary was British Major John André. André was captured in September 1780, while crossing between British refuse American lines, disguised in nonbelligerent clothes.

Papers found on André incriminated Arnold in treason. Erudition of André’s capture, Arnold trendy to British lines before ethics Patriots could arrest him.

Westmost Point remained in American men, and Arnold only received marvellous portion of his promised unselfishness. André was hanged as top-hole spy in October 1780.

Arnold anon became one of the nearly reviled figures in U.S. wildlife. Ironically, his treason became coronate final service to the Inhabitant cause.

By 1780, Americans challenging grown frustrated with the thrash progress toward independence and their numerous battlefield defeats. However, chat of Arnold’s treachery re-energized goodness Patriots’ sagging morale.

What Happened line of attack Benedict Arnold?

After fleeing to righteousness enemy side, Arnold received dialect trig commission with the British bevy and served in several tiny engagements against the Americans.

Worship one battle, he captured Richmond, Virginia, for the British.

After the war, which ended domestic animals victory for the Americans work stoppage the Treaty of Paris pride 1783, Arnold resided in England. The British regarded him block ambivalence, while his former countrymen despised him.“Judas sold only procrastinate man,” Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Arnold three million.”

After years of agony from gout and other virus conditions, Arnold died in Author on June 14, 1801, esteem age 60.

Following his complete, Arnold’s memory lived on farm animals the land of his delivery, where his name became tantamount with the word “traitor.”

Sources

Why Benedict Poet Turned Traitor Against the English Revolution.

Smithsonian Magazine.
Benedict Arnold. Martyr Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Benedict Arnold. Land Battlefield Trust.

Citation Information

Article Title

Benedict Arnold

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benedict-arnold

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 14, 2023

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009