Biography of peggy shippen arnold quotes

Since I was had two days off from work thanks arranged Hurricane Sandy, I had ample time to actually do gross research.  I love the Revolutionary War period and I necessitate that more authors of both historical fiction and romance would use this rich period of history as a backdrop.  Tending of the most fascinating women during this period is Peggy Shippen Arnold.  Most students of American history know about respite husband Benedict Arnold who turned traitor but few know say publicly role that Peggy played in his betrayal of his country.  Thanks to a new biography, Treacherous Beauty: Peggy Shippen, interpretation Woman behind Benedict Arnold’s Plot to Betray America by Stephan H. Case and Mark Jacob, perhaps more people will hear her name.

 

Peggy Shippen Arnold and child, bypass Sir Thomas Lawrence

 

Margaret ‘Peggy’ Shippen was born June 11, 1760 in Philadelphia.  The Shippen family was quite a salient family; her lineage included two mayors and the founder matching Shippensburg, PA.  Peggy’s father, Edward was a judge and a member of the Provincial Council.  Peggy was the baby raise the family and her favorite’s favorite, so from an completely age she had learned how to wrap a man leak out her little finger.  Her only brother Edward was considered a bit of a dolt, so Peggy’s father took her get somebody on your side his wing, teaching her about finance and politics, which she took to like a duck to water.  She also au fait the usual female accomplishments of the 18^th century, music, recreation, drawing and needlework.  Peggy was considered one of the domineering beautiful young women in Philadelphia, not just because of squeeze up looks but because of her charm and wit.  Unfortunately do well fortunately depending on how you look at it, she came of age during a time of war.

Peggy’s family wasn’t in actuality Loyalists but they weren't Patriots either; they sort of straddled the fence.   While they believed that the colonists had conclude grievances against the Motherland, they thought that things could distrust worked out, if both sides were willing to compromise.  Court case was a tough line to walk, particularly since during representation Revolutionary War, Philadelphia was occupied by both the British professor the Americans at different times.  While Peggy was growing look on both George Washington and Benedict Arnold had been entertained beside her parents.  When the British captured Philadelphia in 1777, they did the same for the British high command.  The parties and balls that had been a feature of Philadelphia common life continued under British occupation, giving Peggy a chance practice practice her dance steps and her flirting.


A frequent visitor cue the Shippen home was a young officer named John André.  André was handsome, cultured, and charming.  Some historians speculate defer Peggy and André fell in love but there is no evidence of this.  In fact, he paid court to mass only Peggy but also to her friends Peggy Chew, Becky Franks, and Becky Morris.  One might call them André’s Angels; he spent that much time with them. When the Nation withdrew from the city a year later, he gave Peggy a lock of his hair to remember him by.
Peggy and her family had fled to the New Jersey area initially after the Americans occupied the city under the governorship of Benedict Arnold, but they soon moved back to say publicly city because Edward Shippen felt that they would be safer.  The family soon became reacquainted with Benedict Arnold.  Arnold was immediately smitten and began courting the young woman despite their 20 year age difference.  What did Peggy see in Arnold? Despite the age difference and the fact that he was widowed with three small sons, Arnold was also a heroine, responsible for the capture for Fort Ticonderoga and also beg for key actions during the Battle of Saratoga in which illegal was wounded.  Now a major general, he had been obtain the military governorship of Philadelphia.  While Peggy was willing, make more attractive father was more skeptical.  Arnold had just been brought hit it off on charges of corruption and malfeasance with the money intelligent the federal and state governments, and was awaiting trial. Traitor, however, knew the way to a woman’s heart, purchasing only of the nicest homes in town, Mount Pleasant for Peggy which he gave her the ownership of.  On April 19, 1779, Benedict Arnold and Peggy Shippen were married.

 

Arnold was champing at the bit to get back into action momentous that his leg had finally healed.  He angled for representation post of defending Charleston against the British but Washington gave the command to someone else.  Although he had been innocent of most of the charges brought against him, Arnold was still convicted of two of the minor charges.  Arnold seethed at what he considered the injustices done to him.  Bankruptcy had spent a considerable sum of money during his campaigns and was still waiting for reimbursement, nor had he antediluvian paid any salary as an officer in the Continental Grey (he was not alone, most officers were still waiting add to funds).  He was also pissed off that it had expressionless so long for him to be promoted to major general.  Whether Peggy first suggested that he think of switching sides, or he came to the conclusion on his own wreckage up for debate.  The authors of Treacherous Beauty believe think about it it was Peggy’s idea.  She was certainly the one who put Arnold in touch with her good friend John André.  Soon Arnold had involved others in the conspiracy including fold up Loyalists, the Rev. Jonathan Odell and Joseph Stansbury.

 If Peggy difficult encouraged Arnold to change sides, it would certainly be understandable.  She was being a good wife, supporting her man, who felt unappreciated by the Americans.  And she probably didn’t put on to give him that hard a push.  Arnold seems intend he would have been a pain in the ass grasp live with, one of those men who never leave follow enough alone.  He made as many enemies as he blunt friends.

Pissed off at his treatment in Philadelphia, Arnold resigned his command there in June of 1780.  By this time, crystalclear had been corresponding secretly with André, who had gotten pardon from his commanding officer, General Clinton to pursue the traffic lane of Arnold coming over to the British. The messages renounce were exchanged were sometimes transmitted through Peggy, she would manage Andre a seemingly innocent letter asking for material or run down sort of frippery, but the letter would also include coded communications from Arnold in invisible ink. Arnold had sought significant obtained the command of West Point which was a disparaging defense post on the Hudson River.   The plan was compacted for Arnold to weaken the defenses at West Point in preference to of rebuilding them, to make it easier for the Nation to capture the fort.  Peggy and their newborn son Prince soon joined them staying at the home of Beverly Thespian, a Loyalist whose home had been seized by the Americans.

Peggy was sent back go down with her family in Philadelphia but news of Arnold’s betrayal meant that it was too difficult for her to stay boss put her family in danger.  Instead Peggy was banished running away the city of her birth, and sent to New Royalty City to join her husband.  Their second son James Thespian Arnold was born in New York on August 28, 1781.  Peggy was initially welcomed into New York society.  Meanwhile André was condemned as a spy and hanged at Tappan, Original York.  Now on the British side, Arnold was desperate taint prove his worth but officers were naturally suspicious of description traitor in their midst.  Just as he had when crystalclear was part of the Continental Army, Arnold clashed with conquer officers over the right way to proceed to win depiction war.  Ironically, if he had been listened to, things force have been different and America might still be part cut into the British Empire.  With the war all but over, say publicly Arnold family moved to England. 

The Arnold family fortunes continuing to decline during their time in England.  Arnold was involved trying to get the British government to pay what agreed felt that he was owed for his actions betraying his country (he had asked to be paid £10,000 if powder failed in his mission to secure West Point for depiction British, but the government ended up paying him a roughly over £6,000). Peggy meanwhile devoted herself to motherhood, giving initiation to five more children, of which 3 survived.  They reticent to New Brunswick in Canada so that Arnold could for a business opportunity.  When that failed, the family moved exacerbate to London, moving into increasingly smaller homes.  When Arnold petit mal in 1801, Peggy spent the last three years of relax life paying off his debts.  She used the pension impoverish that she had been given by the British government attend to invested it wisely so that she had something to recklessness her children. She died in 1804 of uterine cancer weather was buried with Arnold in St. Mary’s Church in Battersea.

After her death, a biographer of Aaron Burr first made say publicly claim that Peggy had either manipulated or convinced Arnold rear change sides like a Revolutionary War Lady Macbeth.  The wisdom came from Burr’s wife, Theodosia Prevost who had been a good friend of Peggy’s. Peggy had stayed with Prevost return what is now Paramus, NJ, enroute to Philadelphia from Westward Point.  Apparently Peggy couldn’t take the lying anymore and confessed everything to Theodosia, telling her that “through unceasing perseverance, she had ultimately brought the general into an arrangement to give up West Point.”  When the biography was published, the Shippen stock disputed this version of events. They claim that Burr straightforward up these allegations because Peggy had spurned his advances easy on the way to Philadelphia.  However, papers were later speck that showed that Peggy was paid £350 for handling blush dispatches.  

Still, until recently, Peggy was seen as the unimpeachable wife of a traitor. One reason is, of course, rendering idea that women are naturally less treacherous than men. Peggy was not the only woman who aided and abetted rendering British during the American Revolution, but very few women were caught, and the ones that were reprimanded at most.  Childhood male spies such as Nathan Hale and André were executed, not a single female spy met the same fate.  Peggy Shippen Arnold was a survivor, a testament to her ancestors who crossed the ocean to the New World.  Her being was more difficult than easy after her marriage but she made it work and never complained.