For more than two centuries, all most Americans have ever known about Benedict Arnold is that he committed treason-yet he was more than a turncoat. He was a superb leader, a brilliant tactician, a supremely courageous soldier and one of the most successful military officers of the early years of the Revolutionary War. His capture of Fort Ticonderoga, his Maine mountain expedition to attack Quebec, the famous artillery duel at Valcour Island and the turning point at the Battle of Saratoga all laid the groundwork for our independence. Although his new book doesn’t exonerate Arnold for his treason, historian Jack Kelly forces us to reexamine our understanding of Arnold by offering a fresh new perspective on the events and decisions that led to his momentous change of heart and the permanent stain on his character.
About the Speaker
Jack Kelly is a public scholar and historian. He is the author of several books on the American Revolution, including Valcour: The 1776 Campaign That Saved the Cause of Liberty (St. Martin’s Press, 2021); Band of Giants: The American Soldiers Who Won American Independence (Palgrave MacMillan Trade, 2016); and Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics (Basic Books, 2009). A New York Foundation for the Arts fellow, Jack has appeared on NPR, PBS and The History Channel, and has written for national publications including the Wall Street Journal and American Heritage.
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