Nature of the Request:
The objective of this project is to create a prototype for a public website dedicated to examining how Benedict Arnold’s act of treason played a role in shaping the national identity of the United States. Many have forgotten that Benedict Arnold was once an American hero. On several occasions, Arnold took gallant strides as a military general. Notably, Arnold was applauded for his actions at Fort Ticonderoga, Lake Champlain, and the Battle of Saratoga. However, his heroic actions do not compensate for his betrayal of the Revolutionary cause. Arnold betrayed the cause when he entered secret negotiations with Great Britain to hand over West Point, a pivotal American fort. After his attempt to hand over West Point, Arnold defected to the British and became a brigadier general. As brigadier general, he led invasions into the colonies. By defecting to the British, Benedict Arnold made a name for himself as America’s greatest traitor while also playing a role in solidifying the American National identity. The proposed project will serve to demonstrate in what ways Arnold’s image was used to reinvigorate and solidify the success of the American Revolution. Consequently, it will serve as an example as to how members of a nation can be tossed out and exemplified for the sake of a national cause. This type of exemplification has been repeated throughout history with the antagonisms of public political figures as well as the targeting of minorities in times of extreme disarray to preserve the national community.
Technology:
The current prototype uses the Omeka website platform as the project’s technological foundation. Omeka allows users to exhibit historical content and interpretation. Plug-ins will be utilized to demonstrate and showcase the historical content in a more engaging manner for the target audience. These plug-ins include Docs Viewer, Exhibit Builder, Exhibit Image Annotation, PDF Embed, Text Annotation, Timeline and YouTube Import.
A collection of 10 items is currently being used to demonstrate the type of information that will be shared with a public audience. From here, Omeka will continue to exhibit digital artifacts that serve as evidence as to how Benedict Arnold shaped the national identity of the United States.
Target Audience:The target audience for this site will include K-12 educators and secondary students. The target demographic is expected to have a basic understanding of website functionality. That said, teachers will need to provide scaffolding to students in order to offer them guidance on how to navigate through the site.
Humanities Content:
Consequently, Arnold’s legacy as a traitor triggered the following inquiries: How did Benedict Arnold become America’s greatest traitor? What is treason? What is nationalism? What was the state of the nation when Arnold defected to the British? How did Arnold’s reputation as a war hero disappear in the public sphere? What and who contributed to blackening Arnold’s name? Who were the important individuals that played a part in spreading anti-Arnold sentiment? What publications spread the news about Arnold’s betrayal? Which publications villainized Arnold? How did perceptions of Arnold change over time from the late eighteenth to twenty-first century ? What moments in time caused images or discussions of Arnold to resurface in popular media? What historical figures has Benedict Arnold been compared to?
Historical research will be conducted using the following scholarship and primary sources. Biographies and historical accounts from scholars like Charles Royster, Willard Randall, Walter Powell, Joyce Lee Malcolm, James K. Martin, Nathaniel Philbrick , Lori J. Ducharme, Gary A. Fine, and Grenvill Ingalsbe will be used. Articles and scholarship discussing American Treason Law and Nationalism will be consulted. Primary sources will focus on articles, literature, wartime correspondence, political cartoons and periodicals from the end of the eighteenth century to the present.