How Did Benedict Arnold Life Altered The Course Of The American Revolution

On January 14, 1741, Benedict Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Benedict and his sister were the only two of five Arnold children to survive. The other three died from yellow fever. The Arnold family was reasonably wealthy throughout the beginning portion of Benedict’s life, but poor financial decisions put the family into debt. Benedict’s father became a heavy drinker and he was forced to drop out of school at the age of 15. After dropping out of school in Connecticut, Benedict joined the Connecticut militia and fought in the French and Indian War. Both of his parents died after the war within a span of about two years. The events that took place in Benedict’s life altered the course of the American Revolution.

After fighting

At the beginning of the war Benedict joined forces with Ethan Allen, a Vermont frontiersmen, and apprehended a group of British soldiers at Fort Ticonderoga. Later that year Benedict planned and executed a plan to attack Quebec City with intentions of rallying the Canadian citizens to join the Patriot cause because many of the enlisted continental army men were projected to withdraw from the army in the coming months. His attack failed and hundreds of patriots either died, were wounded, or captured during this ambush. Benedict himself was wounded badly in the leg and had to be carried off the battlefield to recovered in the months to

His actions saved the Patriots from potential defeat and he did not feel that he was given enough recognition. Following his heroic acts, Benedict resigned from his position but was quickly convinced to rejoin the Patriot cause by General George Washington. During the battle of Bemis Heights, Benedict was told to follow the orders of General Horatio Gates, but defied Horatio’s authority and lead the Americans one step closer to victory. After the battle, Horatio downplayed Benedicts actions and took credit for the victory. In the coming months Benedict accepted a job as the military governor. While in this job his loyalties began to shift as his resentment toward the Americans built. He made secret negotiations with British authorities to surrender the fort at West Point in exchange for a large amount of money. Benedict’s plan was discovered and the fort at West Point remained with the Americans. Benedict reverted back to the British’s side and soon became widely known as a traitor.

Benedict used his wisdom and knowledge to advance the Patriots through the war. Without his intelligent and defiant actions, America might not be the country that it is today. Along with providing the Americans with guidance throughout most of the Revolutionary War, Benedict also contributed to the Patriot cause following his act of treason. The Continental