TRAITOR AFTER ALL(Benedict Arnold)

[astrogazer63]

A complex issue. Much of history is lost in the glorification of said history. Most people completely miss the point of what Arnold tried to do: reunification after the peace offering of the Carlisle commission, without further unnecessary bloodshed. Had the fort been taken while at "stand down" alert, without so much as a gunshot as he had planned, it would have ended the war. Arnold hoped to be key in renegotiating peace with the monarchy similar to the efforts of his code namesake, Monk.

[infocus]

"An American Judas for pieces of gold".....one of the worst, most shallow, most illiterate summations of Benedict Arnold ever.

[danning1]

@infocus I wouldn't say that, this song is fairly balanced. Listen to 1:59 - 2:12. There are history books who treat him much more unfairly, comparing him to Hitler and stuff.

[gamblemadman]

He was the complete opposite of a traitor...

He was a loyalist.

[hellgurl71]

@gamblemadman no he was a traitor he was on America's side way before he was on England's side,

[gamblemadman]

@hellgurl71 No he was a Loyalist. Anyone loyal to the crown was a loyalist ... anyone fighting the crown was a traitor, (or an American patriot).

Arnold started off as a traitor ... and ended up being a loyalist, (a British patriot).

[hellgurl71]

@gamblemadman no he was a traitor to America and he never had a chance to be a British patriot (the British back then thought he was a traitor too) (and that was after he joined their side)

[gamblemadman]

@hellgurl71 Obviously we are gonna come at this from different angles lol. Its a pointless argument.

The fact that he ended up fighting for the British means that he was a British patriot ... a loyalist to the crown.

The British only thought of him as a traitor when he was fighting for the Americans ... perhaps some unforgiving Brits may have still thought of him as a traitor after he reverted back to the crown, but most forgave his previous mistakes once he had proven his loyalty to Britain.

[686204]

You guys have got it all wrong up until 1783 the American Revolutionary war consisted of the British fighting British colonialists. America did not Officially become a country until that date. So you see when Arnold started fighting for the Brits he was a Brit helping to put down a rebellion against the Crown. How does that make him a traitor? The real traitors were the founding fathers if the Colonialists had lost the war they all would have been hung as traitors.

[feriousity]

@686204 You are correct .....Canada is a result of Loyalists that was the term given to those Loyal to the Crown of Britain (which no longer exists) it has been reformed into the United Kingdom which has in turn joined economically with the European Union

George Washington was indeed a traitor to the crown as he was a British Officer this is a FACT

[danning1]

@686204 But remember that history is usually written by the winners. Also, though it is sometimes hypocritical and unfair, there's a lot of truth to the saying "nobody likes a traitor even if he's on your side." Quisling, for example, (and unlike Arnold he had NO redeeming qualities) wasn't even liked much by the Nazis even though he helped them all he could.

*For Trivia Buffs: In a lot of European countries a traitor is referred to as a "Quisling," similar to a "Benedict Arnold" here.

[1993MovieMan]

@686204 Except The Colonies were where ? North America . So , The Colonists were still Americans whether there was A Country by that name or not . So , The Brits had no business being there and pushing The Colonists around .

[zach88999]

In American History, we just watched "Liberty", one chapter talked about Benedict, and I don't blame him for switching sides, the British were winning

[sluggo06]

What do you think happens after we die?

[XB360RUSHGamma]

I al did my research and found out that he also betrayed because he thought it would end the war faster because the british were winning and with him on there side they would have won and got the war over with

[danning1]

P.S. I agree, by the way, that he wasn't the total villain that some historians make him out to be. He was a complex man who had greatness in him but also significant character flaws that led to his treason. Someone else on another YouTube video wrote: "Civil wars are complicated, we should try to understand him rather than just tar and feather him simplistically." Couldn't agree more. And regardless, without him America would probably have lost the Revolution, treason or not.

[danning1]

If Benedict Arnold had lived in modern times he probably would have done a live Tv interview from England a few years after the Revolution, cried a lot during it and told the interviewer (Barbara Walters?) how sorry he was and how much he missed America and all that. Then Bush or Obama would have pardoned him and he would have returned a hero again. I mean, if Americans today can forgive Michael Vick for Christ's sake, than anything is possible, right?

[thaddeusisawesome]

my friend did a project on him. they saw this.

[RainStyle967]

Benedict Arnold we (the Brits) LOVE YOU.

[imperatorcaesar100]

he was obsessed with fame, and money, along with him being passed for promotion by younger officers, and the partnership of france which he helped create by him being instrumental in winning the battle of saratoga. Also possibly marrying his wife who was a loyalist could have made him betray the thirteen united rebelious colonies.

[JasmperMdong]

@imperatorcaesar100 Thats a bit harsh. He wasn't obesessed with money, though he was undoubtly obessesd with fame. He was in need of money, he was broke, and in debt since Congress was putting claims that he owed them money after he spent his money on war efforts.

[PeripheralFatality]

Benedict Arnold is definitely my favorite character in American history. I just did a research paper on how heroic he was.. It's too bad he went and betrayed America, though, although I can't say I blame him, all things considered. Still, the man was all kinds of epic.

[XB360RUSHGamma]

@PeripheralFatality i wrote a paper on him to

[IchBinDieKaiser]

He did betray his country, but it was a tragic story. He had so much potential. Had he not betrayed the nation, he WOULD have become President after Washington.

[tony13a]

I think you're right,he was the best General on both sides.

[IantheLiberal]

He was a traitor, but no GWB to be sure...

[beevers48]

He was vehemently against the alliance with France, a despotic dictatorship which Britain wasnt and was certainly contrary to the beliefs of the American Revolution. The AWOI was really a civil war and the French involvement may have been too much for him in terms of fighting Britain, a country he was an active colonial citizen of up to that point.

[metal2002]

Arnold was no traitor, he did what he had to do, it was the extremities of Wshington and the other Zealots that wouldn't allow any compromises.

[OlderG0ds]

Well he was a traitor, not that I really blame him under the circumstances and the way he was treated. Up until then he was the pinnacle of an American hero. He even once dueled a guy for calling him a Yankee in the derogatory sense. Had he died a month before eventually turning he would not be remember as a traitor to the average American, but a hero up there with most revolutionary war heroes.

[zman12343]

funny did you make this

[wackyshow23]

Cool! It'll will help with my report!

[rbianc1]

Awesome!!!

[kn1ghtstemplar]

wtf?

[lanatoodles]

whats this song called

[SRMinatee]

Great video!