Without the discovery of his treason in the fall of 1780, the American people might never have been forced to realize that the real threat to their liberties came not from without, but from within. In that first Revolutionary spring of 1775, Arnold learned of the death of his wife, Margaret.

Arnold planned to surrender the fort to British forces, but the plot was discovered in September 1780 and he fled to the British lines. Arnold’s name quickly became a byword in the United States for treason and betrayal because he led the British army in battle against the very men whom he had once commanded.

Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) was an early American hero of the Revolutionary War (1775-83) who later became one of the most infamous traitors in U.S. history after he switched sides and fought for the British.

Benedict Arnold Letter Offering West Point for $20,000, July 15, 1780. Letter written in code and translated in which Benedict Arnold describes his terms ($20,000) for becoming a traitor and revealing vital information about troops and equipment at West Point, July 15, 1780.

Arnold’s move from hero to turncoat culminated in September 1780, when he secretly met with British Major John Andre to finalize plans for the surrender of West Point. Arnold caught wind of the capture just in time to flee his command and escape aboard the British ship HMS Vulture.

The Battle of Cowpens

The Battle of Saratoga, comprising two significant battles during September and October of 1777, was a crucial victory for the Patriots during the American Revolution and is considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War.

The culmination of the Yorktown campaign, the siege proved to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War in the North American region, as the surrender by Cornwallis, and the capture of both him and his army, prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict.

At no time did more than 45 percent of colonists support the war, and at least a third of colonists fought for the British. Unlike the Civil War, which pitted regions against each other, the war of independence pitted neighbor against neighbor.

Britain lost control of its colonies on the east coast of the Americas and was defeated by France (again) in international politics.