USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Benedict Arnold (14 January 1741 [O.S. 3 January 1740] – June 14, 1801) was an American-born military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defecting to the British side of the conflict in 1780.

Detailed explanation-2: -Historians have several theories about why Arnold became a traitor: greed; mounting debt; resentment of other officers; a hatred of the Continental Congress; and a desire for the colonies to remain under British rule.

Detailed explanation-3: -He was elected to the position of captain in the Connecticut militia in 1775, and participated in the siege of Boston, the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, and the Battle of Saratoga where he received a leg wound. Despite this service, Arnold was the focus of hostility from multiple officers in the Continental Army.

Detailed explanation-4: -Benedict Arnold betrayed the Continental Army to the British when he made secret overtures to British headquarters in May 1779 and, a year later, informed the British of a proposed American invasion of Canada.

Detailed explanation-5: -Coordinating with Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, Arnold helped capture the fort for the Patriots. Arnold suffered two battle wounds for the American cause in 1776; the first in a failed attack on Quebec and the second at the Battle of Saratoga.