General Arnold's 1780 West Point Betrayal: A £6,000 Price for Treason

On September 21, 1780, American General Benedict Arnold met with British Major John André, initiating a clandestine plot to surrender the strategically vital West Point fortification to British forces. This act of treason, motivated by financial distress and perceived slights, aimed to give the British control of the Hudson River and divide the American colonies. The conspiracy was ultimately uncovered, leading to significant repercussions for both men involved.

Prior to his defection, Arnold was a celebrated Continental Army officer, distinguishing himself in key battles such as Ticonderoga and Saratoga. However, he harbored deep resentments over being passed over for promotion and faced mounting debts from a lavish lifestyle, particularly after his second marriage to Peggy Shippen, who had Loyalist sympathies. These grievances fueled his decision to open secret negotiations with the British in 1779.

The plot involved Arnold, then commander of West Point, agreeing to hand over the fort for a sum of £20,000 from the British, though he ultimately received less. Major John André, the head of British espionage, was the key intermediary in these negotiations. West Point was crucial for controlling the Hudson River, and its capture would have severely hampered the American war effort.

The conspiracy unraveled on September 23, 1780, when American militiamen captured Major André carrying incriminating papers, including a pass from Arnold and plans for West Point. Upon learning of André's capture, Arnold fled to British lines, escaping on the HMS Vulture. André was subsequently tried for espionage and executed on October 2, 1780, while Arnold was commissioned as a brigadier general in the British Army, receiving a lump sum of over £6,000 and an annual pension of £360.

Benedict Arnold spent the remainder of the war leading British forces in raids in Virginia and Connecticut before moving to England in December 1781, where he lived until his death in 1801. As stated in the tweet, "His name remains synonymous with treason," a sentiment echoed by figures like Benjamin Franklin, who famously remarked that "Judas sold only one man, Arnold three millions." His legacy in American history is one of betrayal, with his name becoming a byword for disloyalty.