Timeline Description: Benedict Arnold (born January 14, 1741) is best remembered as a traitor of the American Revolution. While he began his military career in the Sons of Liberty, he later sought financial reward by providing information to the British. He fled America as a traitor after the Revolutionary War.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 14, 1741 | Benedict Arnold Born Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 to relatively well-off parents in Norwich, Connecticut. His father was a successful businessman, and he received a private school education. During his childhood, three siblings died of yellow fever, and his father began drinking heavily. |
| 1757 | Enlisted in the Militia After a short apprenticeship as an apothecary, Arnold enlisted in the militia. He went to fight the French in New York. After his mother's death, he took responsibility for his father and a remaining sibling. |
| 1761 | Father Died After a number of years of drunkenness, Arnold's father died in 1761. |
| 1764 | West Indies Trade Company In 1764, Arnold founded a West Indies trade company, based in New Haven, Connecticut with merchant Adam Babcock. |
| 1764 | Joined Sons of Liberty Arnold's frustration with tax regulations led him to join the Sons of Liberty. |
| 1767 | Married Margaret Mansfield Arnold married the daughter of the sheriff of New Haven, Margaret Mansfield, in 1767. The couple had three sons in the next five years before Margaret's death. |
| May 10, 1775 | Seized Fort Ticonderoga Along with Ethan Allen, Arnold seized control of New York's Fort Ticonderoga. His wife died while he was away. |
| June 27, 1775 | Invasion of Quebec Following the seizure of Fort Ticonderoga, Arnold actively encouraged the invasion of Quebec, but was not put in charge of the invasion. Arnold did move forward with an alternate invasion of Canada, sustaining a severe leg wound. |
| 1776 | Battle of Lake Champlain Arnold participated in the Battle of Lake Champlain in 1776 and the Battle of Saratoga in 1777; however, while he fought bravely, he made many enemies in the command. |
| 1778 | Appointed Commander of Philadelphia In 1778, with the support of George Washington, Benedict Arnold was appointed command of Philadelphia after the British left. |
| 1778 | Married Peggy Shippen Not long after receiving command, Arnold married the daughter of a Philadelphia loyalist, Peggy Shippen. |
| 1779 | Court Martialed After incurring significant debt, Arnold was court martialed. He received only minimal punishment. |
| 1779 | Began Correspondence with British Major John Andre In 1779, Arnold began corresponding with British Major John Andre, providing information about troop supplies and movements. Andre had known Peggy prior to the British retreat. |
| August 1780 | Commander of West Point In August 1780, Arnold was made commander of West Point. He intentionally refused repairs or resupply at the base, weakening it. |
| September 21, 1780 | Met with Andre In September 1780, Arnold met with Andre, providing him with additional information about the American forces. Andre was captured only a few days later. |
| October 2, 1780 | Andre Executed In October 1780, Andre was executed. Arnold began attempting to extricate himself from America. |
| December 1781 | Moved to Britain In December 1781, Arnold moved to Britain. He later returned to North America, settling in Canada, but was quite unwelcome. He finally returned to Britain. |
| June 14, 1801 | Died in London Arnold died in London at 60 years of age. |