Benedict Arnold

A General in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold served with distinction in key battles but was passed over for promotions several times. 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. Ultimately his betrayal was discovered and Arnold fled to New York City, accepting a commission in the British Army. Arnold's name has become synonymous with treasonous behavior and is perhaps one of the most infamous figures in American history.

Early Life

Benedict Arnold was born in 1741 to a prominent Connecticut family. Arnold lost most of his siblings to yellow fever, events that possibly triggered alcoholism in his father. As a teenager, Arnold's family faced financial hardship. At the age of sixteen, Arnold enlisted in a militia and served in the French and Indian War in upstate New York. During the 1760s, Arnold started a successful apothecary business, establishing himself as an influential person in New Haven, Connecticut. Through operating these businesses, he traveled throughout New England, Quebec, and in the Caribbean. He married Margaret Mansfield in 1767.

Service in the American Revolution

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.

His political involvement, previous military experience, and role as a smuggler propelled him to military leadership. He was elected to the position of captain in the Connecticut militia in 1775. He participated in the Siege of Boston, and advocated to capture of Fort Ticonderoga. While returning from this engagement, he learned of the death of his wife. Afterward he resigned his militia commission and took a command in the Continental Army. As a proponent of the failed Quebec Campaign, he held various commands throughout that campaign. In fall of 1777, he fought in the Battle of Saratoga where he received a leg wound.¹ In June of 1778, Washington gave him command of the city of Philadelphia upon British withdrawal. The following year he married Peggy Shippen, his second wife and a member of a prominent Loyalist family in the city. 

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. Joseph Reed, a former aide-de-camp of Washington serving on the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania feuded with Arnold, criticizing his behavior as oppressive over the people of Philadelphia.² Washington directed the matter before Congress.³ In January 1780, Arnold was cleared of serious charges concerning these matters, but the trial adversely effected his military career and reputation.

However, Arnold also became involved in conflicts with both John Brown and James Easton who served with on the Quebec Campaign. Brown in response published a pamphlet that claimed of Arnold, "Money is this man's God, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country."⁴ Arnold expressed disappointment and pessimism about the prospects of the United States, and evidence mounted that he was conspiring with the British by exchanging sensitive military information for money. Although cleared of a court-martial, Arnold was rebuked by Washington, who called his conduct "imprudent and improper."⁵ It is possible these feuds and assaults on his reputation tempted him to commit treason.

Committing Treason

After being passed over for promotion to the post of Major General, Arnold attempted to resign his commission. Arnold resigned his post in Philadelphia and eventually gained command at West Point under the endorsement of Phillip Schuyler. It was in this role that he entered into secret negotiations with the British. He transferred money to British forces and passed on information that would aid the British in capturing West Point, while weakening the fort's defenses and thinning out its supplies to make it easier to do so.

John Andre, the officer in charge of British intelligence in North America, was his contact. In late September of 1780, he was captured and ultimately executed for his role in the plot.⁶The documents in his possession when he was arrested implicated Arnold and revealed Arnold’s role in the plot. Before his execution, the Americans offered a prisoner exchange for Arnold, which was refused by the British. Arnold narrowly avoided capture by the Americans and eventually fled to England with his family. Washington wrote of Arnold, “Treason of the blackest dye was yesterday discovered!”⁷

Legacy

Arnold served in the British army for the duration of the war, and then engaged in business in Canada and England until his death in 1801. Since then, his name has become synonymous with moral failure, betrayal, and sinister self-interest. His treason against the Continental Army and methods in which he used to do so demonstrates the importance of espionage tactics in the American Revolution. 

Katie Uva The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Revised by Zoie Horecny, Ph.D., 23 May 2025

Notes:

1. “From George Washington to Major General Benedict Arnold, 20 January 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives.

2. “To George Washington from the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, 24 April 1779,” Founders Online, National Archives.

3. “From George Washington to Joseph Reed, 9 February 1779,” Founders Online, National Archives.

4. Quoted in James Kirby Martin, Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered (New York: NYU Press, 2000), 324 as Handbill, reprinted in Smith, comp. History of Pittsfield 1:73.

5. “General Orders, 6 April 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives.

6. “George Washington to the Board of General Officers, 29 September 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives.

7. “General Orders, 26 September 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives.

Bibliography:

Lehman, Eric D. Homegrown Terror: Benedict Arnold and the Burning of New London. Wesleyan University, 2015.

Malcolm, Joyce Lee. The Tragedy of Benedict Arnold. Pegasus Books, 2018.

Martin, James Kirby. Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered. New York: NYU Press, 2000.

Palmer, Dave Richard. George Washington and Benedict Arnold: A Tale of Two Patriots. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2006.

Philbrick, Nathaniel. Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution. Penguin Publishing Group, 2022.