Benedict Arnold was a succesful colonial general who became upset because he did not feel properly rewarded for his achievements.
Explanation:
Benedict Arnold was an American general, who switched over to the British side during the War of Independence of the United States.
While fighting for the Americans he had distinguished himself by his displays of courage and bravery in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 and the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.
In 1779 he was entrusted with the leadership of the American fort at West Point, New York, a strategic point that controlled access from the Atlantic coasts to the interior of the colony of New York. However, by that time Arnold had already had conflicts with his superiors. Having lost the support of the Continental Congress and the military, since they owed him a certain amount of money for overdue payments, he was also accused of corruption. Arnold also suffered great pressure from his wife, who was loyal to the British crown along with his father-in-law and other political family.
In September of 1780, having already damaged its relations with the American independence fighters, Arnold plotted his plan, which, if it worked, would have granted control of the Hudson River Valley to the British forces, and would have helped to divide the Thirteen Colonies by the half.
Throughout the year 1780 Arnold tried to contact the British military commanders to offer their services and get them to trust him. Finally Arnold managed to contact the British general Henry Clinton and offered to change sides, surrendering the fort of West Point, in New York, which was under his command. Clinton accepted the services of Arnold and promised a high military rank in the British army as well as a high sum of money, for which he sent him as an intermediary to Major John Andre.
The plot was discovered, when in September 1780 Andre was discovered by American militiamen while fleeing back to the British ranks. In Andre's possession were papers demonstrating the betrayal of Benedict Arnold and this was soon disseminated to the heads of the Continental Army. Arnold fled to the British side as soon as he noticed of the capture of Andre (who was hanged as a spy shortly after), before he was captured by US troops dispatched by George Washington himself.
Once safe, Arnold directed the British forces in New York, but after the British defeat in Yorktown in October of 1781, he was forced to travel with his wife and children to Britain, because the triumph of the patriots threatened the British position in New York, city in which Arnold had settled with his family.
