Benedict Arnold's Role In The Revolutionary War

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Benedict Arnold was born on January 14th, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. He was initially a member of the Sons of Liberty, he then rose to the rank of general in the Continental Army during the War. In Arnold’s early life, at the age of 16, he apprenticed at an apothecary business and then served in the militia during the French and Indian War in 1754 to 1763, afterwards he traveled to upstate New York to fight the French. In 1764, Arnold formed a partnership with merchant Adam Babcock. When Arnold was in the war, he was well known for being an early American hero in the Revolutionary War in 1775 to 1783, but he later became an infamous traitor in U.S history. Arnold began the war as a militia captain, then his company marched from Connecticut …show more content…
During this time, Arnold was married to his second wife, Peggy Shippen. The couple lived in a lavish lifestyle in Philidelphia, questions were raised about their marriage. The main question that had an effect was about substantial debt, “The debt and the resentment Arnold felt over not being promoted faster were motivating factors in his choice to become a turncoat.” Arnold concluded that his interest would be better served being with the British than to continue to suffer for an American army that he saw was ungrateful towards …show more content…
Arnold joined the Continental Army, at the outbreak of the war between Great Britain, and its 13 colonies in April 1775. Under a commission from the revolutionary government of Massachusetts, Arnold partnered up with Vermont frontiersman, Ethan Allen, and Allen’s Green Mountain Boys to capture the unsuspecting British garrison and to seize on May 10, 1775 in New York’s Fort Ticonderoga. Later that year, an ill fated expedition on a harrowing trek from Maine to Quebec was led by Arnold. The purpose was to rally the inhabitants of Canada behind the Patriot, then deprive the British government of a northern base. With the enlistments of his men, Arnold had no choice but to launch a desperate attack against the well-fortified Quebec City through a blizzard on December 31, 1775. Afterwards, Arnold received a wound to his leg and was carried to the back of the battlefield early in the battle. The assault continued as hundreds of soldiers were killed, and Canada remained in British
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