CinemaNow - Biography - Benedict Arnold

The American Revolution bred many heroes whose courage and leadership on the battlefield helped the United States gain independence from Britain. During the war no man was a more effective commander than Major General Benedict Arnold. His treason and defection to the British made the name Benedict Arnold synonymous with traitor and his name is still used today as slang for evil and betrayal. What caused one of America's greatest patriots to become her most notorious turncoat? Arnold was born in 1741 to relatively successful parents in the port city of Norwich, Connecticut. His father would often take young Benedict on trading voyages to the Caribbean enabling him to learn about business and sailing at a tender age. When his father began to drink heavily, Mrs. Arnold sent Benedict to boarding school and he later became apprenticed to a druggist. His father's problems and his own ability enabled Arnold to take over the shipping business and the drug store by the time he was 21. Arnold was a successful businessman in New Haven when the British began to tax the colonies and impose trade sanctions against them. With his debt increasing, he joined the Sons of Liberty, a group of disgruntled colonists intent on cutting ties with Britain. When the war began, Arnold was already commander of the New Haven militia and soon established himself as a military leader with the capture of Fort Ticonderoga. Arnold became America's first Admiral when his makeshift Navy took on British warships on Lake Champlain. He came very close to making Canada America's 14th colony after marching 1000 men to Quebec and leading the Continental Army to victory at the Battle of Saratoga. Despite Arnold's victories on the battlefield, other officers were promoted over him while Congress was considering him for court martial. Losing faith in the American cause, Arnold married a loyalist woman and soon after offered to give military information to the British. British spy John Andre was caught with documents and maps given to him by Arnold who was forced to take refuge with the British. Benedict Arnold then became an officer for the British army and although he was not as successful as he was with the Americans, he lead some vengeful campaigns against soldiers and civilians alike. Hated by the Americans and scorned by the British, Arnold moved to England to become an advisor to the King. He returned to the shipping business in New Brunswick after the war but even the Canadians disliked him. He spent his final years in London, depressed and in debt. Benedict Arnold died of a nervous disorder in 1801.