Benedict Arnold: The Traitor

     Benedict Arnold wasn’t always a traitor to his country. From the very beginning he was creative, daring, and brave. These personality traits helped him work for and against the United States. There were many heroic events that led Benedict Arnold to do the bad things he did. Unfortunately, today, we know him as a traitor instead of a hero.

     In 1775, Arnold traveled through Concord, Lexington and Fort Ticonderoga fighting for the United States of America. The British soldiers were ordered to go to Concord and take the weapons that were being stored there. They decided to go through Lexington to achieve this task but were met by the American troops. At this time Benedict Arnold was being promoted to higher positions, rewarded with power and money, while gaining the respect from Congress for the great jobs he was doing. But when he asked for $l,060 in Massachusetts dollars (about $60,000 today) he was accused of using this money for his own life. From this point on people were starting to see Benedict Arnold differently. He always wanted the power and the rewards that came with it, and he would risk his life and the lives of others to get what he wanted.

     In early 1777, Congress promoted Benedict Arnold to major general after his great work in Quebec and gave him a new horse as a reward. Although a lot of the troops started to notice the other side of Benedict Arnold and didn’t like him, Washington rewarded Arnold for his work in Saratoga, by promoting him as commandant at Philadelphia in July 1778. It was also around this time that Arnold began secret meetings with the British. He had then made the decision to look for more money and fame by helping Great Britain. After getting control of the fort at West Point, N. Y. in 1780, he offered to surrender it to the British for 20,000 pounds (England currency) and authority in the British army. The American troops found about the plan after his British contact, J. Andre’, was captured and hanged.

     As a brigadier general in the British army, Arnold performed attacks in many areas of Virginia, fighting against his country. Then, in 1781, Arnold continued these events and went to New London, Connecticut, where he invaded former neighbors. There he burned more than 150 buildings, and his troops killed American armies at Fort Griswold, near New London. There was no turning back for Benedict Arnold. He had changed sides hurting whoever he could to have the power he always wanted.

     In December of 1781, Arnold and his family moved to England. There, he was fired from the British army, his businesses failed, and received less than one-third the money he asked for. Arnold's abused his position of power and trust, betraying America to secure his own success. His selfishness took over his life, his decisions and his honor. Arnold died in London, on June 14, 1801.