There are many events in history that intrigue and surprise us. There are many characters that stand out. In terms of property management Providence Rhode Island has a couple historical characters that almost changed Providence property management. The well know traitor Benedict Arnold is one of them. His acts almost turned the fight for independence in favor of the British. Arnolds name is synonymous with being a traitor, but the actual story is filled with accounts of a complex man. He was a brilliant military leader before he became a traitor and it can be argued that it is because of Arnold that the Colonies defeated England.

Arnold was part of the first successful campaign of the colonial war. Fort Ticonderoga in up state New York was occupied by the British. Benedict Arnold asked for and received orders for his militia to capture the fort. They encountered Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys with plans for the same thing. Arnold felt he should lead both companies in battle and his plan should be followed. The Ethan Allens militia refused to be under Arnolds command. Allen and Arnold worked out a plan that allowed for the two commanders to lead an assault on the fort. The campaign for Fort Ticonderoga was about as dramatic as watching a cow at a salt lick. Attempting to get the troops across the river in the earlier hours, Arnold and Allen became aware of the approaching dawn. They decided to make their assault with only 83 men. They walked up to the Fort, suggested the British should surrender and the battle was over without a shot.

It was at the battle of Saratoga that Arnold paved the way for victory of the Colonies. Arnold was a smart and assertive leader. He was willing to take risks and reaching for an advantage. At Saratoga, Arnold wanted an aggressive approach, but was thwarted by the more conservative General Gates. Later Arnold learned that Gates failed to mention the contribution Benedict made to the first battle of Saratoga. It was under Arnold that great casualties were inflicted on the British. Benedict Arnold was not a man willing to go unrewarded or uncompensated. {In the ensuing confrontation|During the confronation between Gates and Arnold,|Gates relieved Benedict Arnold of his command. The second battle of Saratoga was well underway when Arnold mounted a horse and charged into battle, in open defiance of General Gates. Gates sent officers after Arnold with the instruction to remove him from the battle field. Before that could happen, Arnold was storming the British fortification and capturing a part of their defenses. Arnold suffered a major injury as the battle wound down. After about ten days the British surrendered their position. It was this colonial victory that convinced the French to enter the fray and turn the tide of war in favor of the colonialists.

After five months of convalescence, Arnold was appointed the Military Governorship of Philadelphia. Arnold had his seniority restored and, despite the fact that others were advanced before him, was finally promoted. The congress had come to believe that Arnold was taking advantage of his position and they had investigated him several times already. While he was in Philadelphia Arnold began negotiating with the British. For a substantial amount of sterling, 100,000 pounds, and a position as Brigadier General, Arnold was willing to surrender West Point, a pivotal fort on the Hudson River.

Arnold’s plan was thwarted when his messenger was apprehended with detailed correspondence in his boots. Arnold fled to the British and tried to justify his behavior in an open letter. After many years, despised in the new nation, un-trusted in Britain, Benedict Arnold perished alone and poor. He was both the hero that saved the colonies and the villain that almost brought them down.

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