Biography of Benedict Arnold
Biography of Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold played a very important role in our country’s beginning but is mainly remembered for being a traitor. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. His farther, also named Benedict Arnold, was a very well respected war hero due to the part he had played in the Battles of the League. His mother was the wealthy widow Hannah Waterman King before her marriage to Arnold’s father. Arnold went to school at Canterbury and during that time he lost some of his siblings to Yellow Fever. A few poorly made deals produced financial problems and Benedict Arnold was pulled out of school. Arnold was usually getting himself into trouble due to lack of discipline from his parents. His mother’s cousins owned a successful apothecary business. Their names were Joshua and Daniel Lathrop and they gave the young Arnold a job as an apprentice. In 1759, Benedict’s mother died and just two years later so did his father. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000)
Arnold quit his apprenticeship job and traveled to Europe to get supplies to start his own apothecary business. Arnold started his new business in New Haven and his only remaining sibling, his sister, took the position as Arnold’s assistant. Arnold met Margaret Mansfield and in 1767, they got married and the couple would later have three sons. (http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.html)
Benedict Arnold became the captain of the Governor’s Second Company of Guards prior to the beginning of the war. After the war had started, Arnold requested permission from the Committee of Safety of Massachusetts to seize control of Fort Ticonderoga. After getting permission, Arnold and his men marched to Bennington and were surprised when they found that Ethan Allan and his Green Mountain Boys were also ready to take the fort. During the trip to Fort Ticonderoga, Arnold tried to talk Allan into giving up command but he had no success. Both Arnold and Allen agreed to lead the attack together, shoulder to shoulder. On May 10, they made the surprise attack on Ticonderoga, which only had one guard on duty. They broke into the rum stores and celebrated. (http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.html)(Hakim, Joy. A History of US. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993)
The Continental Congress was planning the invasion of Canada, to take Quebec and make...