The Complicated Traitor: Benedict Arnold
By Ishaan Shrivastav
409 Edgemont Drive
909-553-0014
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Redlands High School
840 E Citrus Ave, Redlands, CA 92374
909-307-5500
9th Grade
The Complicated Traitor: Benedict Arnold
Gunshots firing, troops running, and screams being heard from miles away. War has
changed the way the world has developed in many different ways. One of the most influential
wars of all time was the American Revolutionary War. The American colonists and the British
soldiers fought a bloody war for the freedom of the American colonies. Most history classes and
books describe the overall motivations of the war while skimming over the how complex it
actually was. One of these complexities was a man named Benedict Arnold. This worldrenowned name has been now converted to mean something similiar to a “traitor”. But the true
Benedict Arnold was much more than just a traitor. To understand the true nature of Benedict
Arnold it is crucial to first look at the childhood of Benedict Arnold, then his involvement in the
war, and finally the ramifications that his actions caused. Benedict’s childhood was a very
troubled one and explained many of his future decisions. His involvement in the war is
infamously known as very complicated due to him betraying his side. The resulting
consequences of his actions changed the nature of the war.
First, visualizing Benedict Arnold’s Childhood would help to analyze his actions later on
in his life. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 to Captain Arnold who was one of the
most prosperous merchants in the area (Randall 2). He was baptized as a Puritan in infanthood
(Martin 18). His mind was clearly influenced by religious values and he tried to follow a Puritan
lifestyle. He was one of five children although only two survived through childhood.
Unfortunately, his father made a very risky business decision that went south. It plunged their
family into debt and caused a panic in the Arnold Household. When he turned 15, he dropped out
of school due to lack of money and he ran away to join the Connecticut Militia. This is where he
fought in the Seven Years War against the Native Americans and the French (Benedict).
Throughout his childhood he faced struggles that shaped the way he viewed the concept of
family. He went from having a very wealthy childhood to instantly a very rough childhood. His
father’s alcoholism pushed Benedict away from the love of his family. His concept of
brotherhood was skewed away and could have possibly caused him to betray his country.
Next, his war experience was the single most important thing that led to his fame.
Benedict was described as one of the most courageous war generals of all time and he even
described that “his courage was acquired, and that he was a coward till he was fifteen years old
(Flexner 3). He fought for and successfully captured Fort Ticonderoga after being chosen as the
Captain of the Governor's 2nd Company of Connecticut Guards. Then he captured British
General John Burgoyne in the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. This battle was the turning point of the
war and led to an American victory. However he slowly started to feel resentment to the
continental congress, and decided that he did not care about winning the war for his country
anymore. He attempted to give up the American troops in West Point for a huge bribe from the
British government. However, his plan was quickly discovered and he switched his allegiance to
the British in order to save his neck (Benedict). The effect of his childhood impacted his decision
to turn on his country. Due to his neglect, he felt no brotherhood or familiar love towards
anyone. It influenced his decision to choose money over patriotism. His treachery was not just a
simple act of mischief but rather a complicated and emotional decision.
Benedict Arnold's actions had both short term and long term ramifications that affected
his own life and the future. As for benedict, it was one of the worst decisions he could have made
in his life. He was never trusted again due to his dark personality and it cost him promotions in
the British army. He led some battles but did it as a last resort and the battles ended up as
failures. Benedict became broke due to his poor military career in England. At the end of his life,
he supposedly asked God for forgiveness for turning against his own country (Benedict). In
addition to the impact his decision had on his life, it also had a great impact on his legacy.
Benedict was a great war general who could have even been compared to George Washington.
However, his whole entire military career was tarnished by his decision to turn against the
American colonies. Due to this, he is widely considered as one of the worst army generals of
American history. His name is now a infamous one where everyone uses his name as another
word for a traitor (@ukessays). He had such a great impact that 200 years after his mistake, he is
still known for it.
Benedict Arnold has been hailed as one of the worst Americans in history. However, his
actions weren’t just blunt and destructive actions that did not have any reason. His legacy has to
be characterized by looking at his childhood, influence in the war, and also ramifications in the
future. After taking all these into account, hopefully his name will be treated with more
sympathy rather than being one of the worst insults one can be called.
Works Cited
"Benedict Arnold Biography for Kids." Benedict Arnold Biography for Kids «. Mrnussbaum,
n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Flexner, James Thomas. The Traitor and the Spy: Benedict Arnold and John Andre̕. New
York: Harcourt, Brace, 1953. Print.
Martin, James Kirby. Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior
Reconsidered. New York: New York UP, 1997. Print.
Randall, Willard Sterne. Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor. New York: Morrow, 1990. Print.
@ukessays. "Benedict Arnold And His Impact On American History History Essay." UKEssays.
UKEssays, 23 Mar. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Student Biography
My name is Ishaan Shrivastav and I am currently a Junior at Redlands High School. I
participate in many activities in school such as Speech and Debate, Tennis, Desi Club, Octagon
Club, Cultures for Youth Club, and Ping Pong Club. I have received Academic awards every
year for GPA and have also have received awards for specific achievements in specific subjects.
Currently, I am most interested in the technology field. I have delved into this study with great
enthusiasm and am studying outside of school for it. I have started a study in where i would be
able to collect data from twitter accounts all across the nation and analyze many patterns from it.
My plans for college are to follow up in this field. Many of the colleges I am looking at stay in
California due to the growing technology business in this state. Overall, I see myself going down
one path in the future and will work hard in order to reach my goals.