I borrowed this from History.com This excerpt is about Benedict Arnold and his traitorous plot. He married a Loyalist, he was deeply in debt and his had a fragile ego. In late 1779, Arnold began planning to let the British take the fort at West Point, in return for money and a command in the British Army. The plot was discovered in Sept 1780. Arnold fled to British territory before he was caught, and Andre was hanged as a spy in Oct. 1780. It didn't take long for the American government to break up and punish the traitors. I guess the brand new leaders of a brand new country had their priorities straight. Country before party.
http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benedict-arnold :
A TREACHEROUS PLOT
During his term as governor, rumors, not entirely unfounded, circulated through Philadelphia accusing Arnold of abusing his position for his personal profit. Questions were also raised about Arnold’s courtship and marriage to the young Peggy Shippen (1760-1804), the daughter of a man suspected of Loyalist sympathies. Arnold and his second wife, with whom he would have five children, lived a lavish lifestyle in Philadelphia, accumulating substantial debt. The debt and the resentment Arnold felt over not being promoted faster were motivating factors in his choice to become a turncoat. He concluded that his interests would be better served assisting the British than continuing to suffer for an American army he saw as ungrateful.
By the end of 1779, Arnold had begun secret negotiations with the British to surrender the American fort at West Point, New York, in return for money and a command in the British army. Arnold’s chief intermediary was British Major John André (1750-80). André was captured in September 1780, while crossing between British and American lines, disguised in civilian clothes. Papers found on André incriminated Arnold in treason. Learning of André’s capture, Arnold fled to British lines before the Patriots could arrest him. West Point remained in American hands, and Arnold only received a portion of his promised bounty. André was hanged as a spy in October 1780.
Arnold soon became one of the most reviled figures in U.S. history. Ironically, his treason became his final service to the American cause. By 1780, Americans had grown frustrated with the slow progress toward independence and their numerous battlefield defeats. However, word of Arnold’s treachery re-energized the Patriots’ sagging morale.
= new reply since forum marked as read
