Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold: Patriot Turned Traitor

In history class, children are told of the traitor of the American troops during the American Revolution, but they are rarely told who this man really was. The story they are told of is only a small portion of this man’s life. They are rarely ever given his reasons for betraying his country, but there is always two sides to every story and in my paper I will discuss a patriot and a traitor. The man in question is none other than Benedict Arnold. Arnold went from being a highly respected general in the American Continental army, to being a traitor to his country and to his peers. But what could cause a man who once exhibited such dedication to his country to all at once turn his back on that same country? Some say that the betrayal came as the result of a betrayal handed to him by George Washington, when Washington appointed several generals ahead of Arnold, after Arnold had won key battles against the British in the American Revolution. Others suspect that Arnold’s greed led him down that path, and still others speculate that his marriage to Peggy Shippen, a Loyalist, helped his transition from patriot to traitor. Before one can determine whether or not Arnold was a complete traitor to his country, it is only fair to get the whole story from the beginning. Thus, one must examine Arnold’s entire life, including his early years, military experiences, and personal affiliations.

One of the reoccurring themes in the story of Benedict Arnold’s life is an obsession monetary wealth, financial scams, and financial troubles. Some say that this stemmed from his father’s alcoholism that eventually led to the Arnold family falling into financial ruin. It was after Arnold’s father pushed hard to get his family to a wealthy status in the wealthiest parts of Connecticut, the deaths of four of Arnold’s brothers and sisters (Arnold’s mother and father had six children and four died of the small pox), and the death of Arnold’s mother,...