Benedict Arnold Hero Or Traitor

Benedict Arnold grew up with a simple goal: to restore the Arnold name. Even though he became a smart and wealthy merchant, he needed to do more to make the Arnold name respected. “He [wanted to] do more than just restore the Arnold name. He [wanted to] make it immortal.” (Sheikin). Knowing this, you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he was one of the first to volunteer for his local militia, and was elected to be their leader. Rapidly moving up the ladder, the mentally and physically fit Arnold went from a Colonel for the attack on Fort Ticonderoga, to a General for the attack on Quebec, to a Major General of West Point. Throughout this journey, Benedict Arnold was responsible for the success of many battles that couldn’t of been won without him. His quick thinking and aggressive military approach turned untrained militiamen into tough war soldiers, and was key to gaining important land and keeping most of the Patriots on his side. Even though some may consider Arnold a traitor, he is an American war hero who is single handedly responsible for many key victories of the American Revolution. …show more content…
After his service to America, he sold away protection of a very important military fort, which happens to be in a location desperately needed by the British to split the colonies in two. He conversed with loyalists and British Army officials, and tried to convince himself that what he was doing was best for the colonists. The colonists got so mad about this, that they rioted in many cities all over the country. Banners were seen of Arnold conversing with the devil, and images of the devil shaking money in his ear (Sheikin). He completely turned his back on his