Benedict Arnold: Traitor, or Hero?

Instructions:

Analyze whether conflicting views of Benedict Arnold stem from differences of fact, or differences of opinion.

Download the handout here.

Start by reading this article about Benedict Arnold from Boys Life

Hidden History of the American Revolution: Part IV: The Traitor

Follow that with this article

"Without Arnold, Revolution Would Have Been Lost" by Bill Stanley

Compare and contrast the differing views of Benedict Arnold, and write an explanation of how the views conflict.Then, decide whether the conflicting views stem from differences in fact or opinion. Your writing should follow this outline:

1. Explain how each author treats the subject differently, and provide examples.
2. Then, analyze- are there differing facts? Or differing opinions? Explain why you think so, including examples from the texts.

Other sources and links:

Edmund Pendleton letter about Benedict Arnold's treason

Benedict Arnold portrait from Library of Congress

Benedict Arnold: A Man Without a Country

Benedict Arnold's Leg

"The Curious London Legacy of Benedict Arnold" from the Smithsonian Magazine

Benedict Arnold: A Traitor, but Once a Patriot from US News

Traitor or Hero? from the US Navy Museum

Benedict Arnold Betrays Americans from Old News