Tis the Season for Treason

American turncoat Benedict Arnold

By Ben Barrack

In a video, Bill Whittle explained the difference between a ‘traitor’ and a ‘turncoat’. The former describes an individual who actively fights against his nation because he/she opposes it based on ideology, principles, or some agenda. The latter describes an individual who changes sides because the enemy is winning. In the case of America’s most notorious traitor – Benedict Arnold – one could argue that he was both. At one point, he fought courageously for the colonists but several things happened.

Arnold married the daughter of a British sympathizer, which seemed to open the door for his providing secrets to the enemy. It was the discovery of his subsequent dealings with a British Major named John Andre’ that revealed Arnold’s treasonous behavior. Those dealings included the weakening of West Point’s defenses. There are some indications that he had a problem with aligning with the French as well as with those who opposed the Protestant religion, though this may have involved a bit of rationalization after it became clear who he was.

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