Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) is so famous in U.S. history as a traitor that people who betray a trust are often called Benedict Arnolds. For much of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), Arnold was a respected general in the American struggle for independence from Britain. But in 1780, Arnold turned traitor and became a general in the British army. in this cartoon, Arnold's attorney says his client's actions were those of an impressionable young man who was led astray--a defense similar to an argument John Walker Lindh's attorney hinted he would use to defend Lindh. What do you think the patriots would have thought if Arnold had claimed he'd been brainwashed and misguided? Do you think the acts of Arnold and the charges against Lindh are comparable? What do you think the cartoonist thinks of Lindh? Explain your answers.
Before he betrayed the Patriot forces, Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) played an important role in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Arnold, however, became embittered after several setbacks in his career. In 1780, after receiving command of the American fort at West Point, New York, Arnold conspired to surrender the base to British forces in exchange for money and a commission in the British army. After American forces uncovered Arnold's plot, he escaped and became a brigadier general in the British army. As a British officer, Arnold led attacks and raids on Virginia and Connecticut. In 1782, Arnold moved to England, but he was scorned by the British.