BENEDICT ARNOLD

In the 1912 Republican nominating convention, Theodore Roosevelt was contesting the renomination of President William Howard Taft whom he had originally picked as the Republican nominee four years earlier. Then Senator Harding gave the nominating speech for Taft. In it he described Roosevelt as:

Arnold was not just any senior officer, but one who had been a great fighter against the British not only, leading his men brilliantly but exposed himself to great danger in the process. He had been such a hero that Washington could not imagine how an officer like that could become a traitor to the cause. Arnold’s treasom had nothing to do with ideology or the issues of the war. Arnold felt that he had not been appreciated for his efforts (his commanding officer gave him no credit for the most heroic and effective military battlefield leadership up to that point in the war) and became disaffected.

One of the very poorly executed military maneuvers of the American Revolution was the failed patriot attempt to invade Canada and take Quebec. The Generals assigned to lead the invasion made a host of blunders. When things were not going well, they asked for Benedict Arnold to come and reinforce them. However, they asked for help too late as Arnold explained to George Washington. The reason they wanted Arnold was that at the early part of the American Revolution he was one of the two best field commanders the Patriots had. Soon after, he led the successful battle of Saratoga, but his Commander did not give him any informal or official credit. Arnold felt that he was not properly recognized for his many military achievements and that appears to be true. However, with that mental predisposition, he gave in to venal motives and went over to the British side—the only senior officer who committed treason in the Revolution.

Arnold wrote this document to justify his treason. The reality was that in the beginning of the war he was one of the best and bravest of the American generals and was the likely replacement for George Washington should anything happen to him. However, he had been involved in some financial improprieties, and was disciplined. He felt unappreciated by his fellow officers and joined the British side. He attempted to justify his action be saying that the revolutionaries had already won the rights of Englishmen and the taxation and other issues for which they had fought. However, by this time total independence had become a goal for most Americans although at the beginning of the dispute that had been only the goal of some.

Arnold had gone over to the British Side, and was providing intelligence information about the Continental Army. Obtaining troops had been exceedingly difficult for the revolutionaries and the Army leadership, including General Washington, were distressed with the way Congress was handling things.

Arnold wrote this document to justify his treason. The reality was that in the beginning of the war he was one of the best and bravest of the American generals and was the likely replacement for George Washington should anything happen to him. However, he had been involved in some financial improprieties, and was disciplined. He felt unappreciated by his fellow officers and joined the British side. He attempted to justify his action be saying that the revolutionaries had already won the rights of Englishmen and the taxation and other issues for which they had fought. However, by this time total independence had become a goal for most Americans although at the beginning of the dispute that had been only the goal of some.

Arnold had gone over to the British Side, and was providing intelligence information about the Continental Army. Obtaining troops had been exceedingly difficult for the revolutionaries and the Army leadership, including General Washington, were distressed with the way Congress was handling things.

One of the very poorly executed military maneuvers of the American Revolution was the failed patriot attempt to invade Canada and take Quebec. The Generals assigned to lead the invasion made a host of blunders. When things were not going well, they asked for Benedict Arnold to come and reinforce them. However, they asked for help too late as Arnold explained to George Washington. The reason they wanted Arnold was that at the early part of the American Revolution he was one of the two best field commanders the Patriots had. Soon after, he led the successful battle of Saratoga, but his Commander did not give him any informal or official credit. Arnold felt that he was not properly recognized for his many military achievements and that appears to be true. However, with that mental predisposition, he gave in to venal motives and went over to the British side—the only senior officer who committed treason in the Revolution.