Benedict Arnold.
Benedict Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. A member of the Sons of Liberty, Arnold rose to the rank of general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He subsequently became a spy for the British, plotting to arrange a siege of West Point. When the plans came to light, Arnold defected to the British side.
Benedict Arnold was a general during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York and planned to surrender it to the British forces. After the plan was exposed in September 1780, he was commissioned into the British Army as a brigadier general. Benedict Arnold's Mother was Hannah Waterman, she was a wealthy widow, before she was married to Elder Arnold. His Mother died in 1759.
Without a command, Arnold became one of several individuals who lobbied for an invasion of Canada. The Second Continental Congress finally authorized such an operation, but Arnold was passed over for command. Returning to the siege lines in Boston, he convinced General George Washington to send a second expedition north via the wilderness of Maine's Kennebec River.
Some facts about Benedict's family is that he was the 2nd of six, but his older brother died at birth.He was one of only two of his mother's eleven children to survive into adulthood. His mother had been a prosperous widow before marrying Arnold's father, a merchant.However, Arnold's father did not manage the family's money well, and they were financially ruined when Arnold was thirteen. He was forced to leave school and go to work learning to be an apothecary, a position similar to that of a modern-day pharmacist.
Frustrated and bitter at this, as well the alliance with France and failure of Congress to accept Britain's 1778 a proposal to grant full self governace in the colonies to Arnold decided to change sides and opened secret negotiations with the British. In July 1780, he was offered, continued to pursue and was awarded command of West Point. Arnold's scheme to surrender the fort to the British was exposed when American forces captured British Major John Andre carrying papers that revealed the plot. Upon learning of André's capture, Arnold fled down the Hudson River to the British sloop-of-war, narrowly avoiding capture by the forces of George Washington, who had been alerted to the plot.
Arnold received a commission as a Brigadier general in the British Army, an annual pension of E360, and a lump sum of over E6,000.He led British forces on raids in Virginia, and against New London and Groton, Connecticut before the war effectively ended with the American victory at York town. In the winter of 1782, Arnold moved to London with his second wife, Margaret "peggy" Shippen Arnold. He was well received by King George III and the Tories, but frowned upon by the Whigs. In 1787, he returned to the merchant business with his sons Richard and Henry in Saint John New Brunswick. He returned to London to settle permanently in 1791, where he died ten years later.
Benedict Arnold suffered from gout since the year 1775. It was because of this severe ailment that he soon became crippled and had to use a cane for walking. One of his legs had persistent pain, while the other was damaged to an extent that it became impossible for him to go to the sea. His health started to deteriorate further in January, 1801. He was diagnosed by his doctors as having dropsy or edema, a condition that causes swelling in the tissues due to excess fluid accumulation. His short stay at the countryside helped him recover from his illness to some extent, he died at 60, on June 14, 1801, after 4 days of high fever and delirium. because of the way he changed sides, his name quickly became a byword in the United States for treason or betrayal. He returned to London to settle permanently in 1791, where he died ten years later. Because of His conflicting legacy is recalled in the ambiguous nature of some of the memorials that have been placed in his honor.
Question:Who was Benedict Arnold?
A. a general during the American Revolutionary War
B. a famous celebrity
C. my imaginary friend
Question: what year did Benedict Arnold serve in the American Revolutionary War?
A. 1781
B. 2013
C. 1567
By: Kate Cranney