HIST 116: The American Revolution
Lecture 14 - Heroes and Villains. In this lecture, Professor Freeman discusses Benedict Arnold as a case study of the ways in which ideas about regionalism, social rank, and gender - and the realities of the Continental Congress and the Continental Army - played out in this period. Like many Americans during this period, Benedict Arnold thought that he could improve his social rank and reputation in the military, but he was unable to advance due to the Continental Congress's policy on military promotions. Frustrated and facing mounting personal debts, he decided to aid the British in exchange for a reward. Arnold and his wife Peggy developed a plan for Arnold to smuggle American military plans to the British with the help of a young British soldier named John Andre. However, Andre was captured while smuggling Arnold's papers and the plot quickly unraveled. In the end, Arnold fled; his wife played upon conventional stereotypes of women to avoid punishment; and Andre was executed but idealized in the process. (from oyc.yale.edu)
| Lecture 14 - Heroes and Villains |
| Time | Lecture Chapters |
| [00:00:00] | 1. Introduction: Complications within the Continental Congress |
| [00:06:48] | 2. Opportunities for Social Mobility in the American Revolution |
| [00:14:20] | 3. Benedict Arnold's Early Frustrating Military Career |
| [00:23:36] | 4. Arnold's Marriage with Peggy Shippen and Plans for Spying |
| [00:37:39] | 5. The Unraveling of Arnold's Plot |
| [00:44:17] | 6. An Example out of John Andre and the Fate of the Arnolds |
| References |
| Lecture 14 - Heroes and Villains Instructor: Professor Joanne Freeman. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov]. |
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