Benedict Arnold (governor)
Encyclopedia
Benedict Arnold was president and then governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
, serving for a total of 11 years in these roles. Coming from Somerset
, England, he was born and raised in the town of Ilchester
, likely attending school in Limington
, nearby. In 1635, at the age of 19, he accompanied his parents and siblings on a voyage from England to New England
, where they first settled in Hingham
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. In less than a year they moved to Providence
on the Narragansett Bay
at the request of Roger Williams
. In about 1638 they moved once again, about five miles south to the Pawtuxet River
, settling on the north side at a place commonly called Pawtuxet. Here they had serious disputes with their neighbors, particularly Samuel Gorton
, and as a result put themselves and their lands under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts
, a situation lasting for 16 years.
Learning the native languages at an early age, Arnold became one of the two leading interpreters in the Rhode Island colony, Roger Williams being the other. He was frequently called upon to interpret during negotiations with the natives, but on one occasion was accused by them of misrepresentation.
In 1651 Arnold left Providence and Pawtuxet with his family, settling in Newport
where he began his public service which would last continuously until his death. He quickly became a freeman
, Commissioner, and Assistant, and in 1657 succeeded Roger Williams as President of the colony, serving for three years. In 1662 he was once again elected President, and during the second year of this term the Royal Charter of 1663
was delivered from England, naming him as the first Governor of the colony, and offering broad freedoms and self-determination to the colony.
A bold and decisive leader, Arnold was elected for two additional terms as governor, the last time following the devestation of King Philip's War
. He died on 19 June 1678 while still in office, and was buried in the Arnold Burying Ground
, located on Pelham Street in Newport. In his will he left to his wife his "stone built wind mill,"
which still stands as an important Newport landmark. His many descendants include General Benedict Arnold
, best known for his treason during the American Revolutionary War
, and Stephen Arnold Douglas who debated Abraham Lincoln
in 1858, and lost to him during the 1860 presidential election.
, Somerset
, England, Benedict Arnold was the second child and oldest son of William Arnold and Christian Peak. Living in the large town of Ilchester, he was familiar with the nearby villages of Northover
, from where his grandparents Nicholas and Alice Arnold had come; Yeovilton
, where his Aunt Joane's husband William Hopkins (ancestor of Rhode Island Governor Stephen Hopkins
) was from; and Limington
, after which place he would name one of his properties in New England, calling it "Lemmington Farm. All four of these localities lie within two miles of each other. Arnold was likely educated at the Free Grammar School associated with the parish church in Limington, slightly more than a mile to the east of Ilchester. This ancient school is where Thomas Wolsey was the curate
and schoolmaster
from 1500 to 1509. Wolsey later became the Lord Cardinal
and Primate of England.
At the age of 19, Arnold accompanied his parents and siblings aboard a ship destined for New England
. With his parents, siblings, and other relatives and associates, the Arnolds gathered their baggage and supplies in the spring of 1635 and made the trip from Ilchester
to Dartmouth
on the coast of Devon
. In a family record begun by his father, he wrote "Memorandom my father and his family Sett Sayle from Dartmouth in Old England, the first of May, friday &c. Arrived in New England June 24o Ano 1635. The name of the ship on which he sailed was not recorded, nor has it been identified since. It is possible that Stukeley Westcott
of Yeovil
, five miles south of Ilchester, was also on the same ship, bringing his family including his daughter Damaris, aged 15, the future wife of Arnold.
Upon their arrival in New England, the Arnolds joined a group of settlers from Hingham
, Norfolk
, England, where they established the new town of Hingham
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. William Arnold received title to a house lot here in September 1635, but the following spring he and several other settlers were persuaded by Roger Williams
to join him in establishing a new settlement on the Narragansett Bay
, named Providence
. In the family record the younger Arnold wrote, "Memm. We came to Providence to Dwell the 20th of April, 1636. per me Bennedict Arnold." Arnold received a house lot on what is now North Main Street in Providence, and his father was granted the second lot south of his.
and Robert Cole in a move about five miles south to the Pawtuxet River
. The settlement, called Pawtuxet, was still within the jurisdiction of Providence (and later became a part of Cranston, Rhode Island
). On 17 July 1640 Arnold signed an agreement with 38 other Providence residents to form a more compact government "to preserve the peace and insure the prosperity of a growing community." It did neither, especially after the arrival of Samuel Gorton
in Providence, who Roger Williams
wrote was "bewitching and bemadding poor Providence." In one incident, "Upon the attempt to enforce the execution of an award against Francis Weston made by eight men orderly chosen, Gorton, with many of his followers, assailed the representatives of law and order making a tumultuous hubbub." In a petition that Arnold wrote, dated 17 November 1741, he with 12 others formally applied to Massachusetts for help, asking the government there to "lend us a neighborlike helping hand." Massachusetts replied that they could not help unless the complainants fell under their jurisdiction.
Being highly offended by Gorton, who had moved with some of his adherents to Pawtuxet, the Arnolds, Cole, and Carpenter went to Boston, and on 2 September 1642 submitted themselves to the government and jurisdiction of Massachusetts. They were received by the General Court there, and appointed justices of the peace. In doing this, these settlers allowed a foreign jurisdiction into the midst of the Providence government, a condition that would last for 16 years. Gorton, unhappy about being under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, then moved with his followers another 12 miles further south, settling at a place called Shawomet, beyond the limits of Massachusetts' jurisdiction.
Having already become proficient in the Narragansett and Wampanoag
native languages, and harboring an intense dislike of Gorton, Arnold and his father devised a scheme to undermine their adversary, and to simultaneously obtain extensive lands from the local Indians. Gorton had purchased Shawomet from Miantonomi, the chief sachem
of the Narragansett people. Two minor sachems, Ponham and Sacononoco, had some control of the lands at Pawtuxet and Shawomet, and Arnold, acting as interpreter, took these chieftans to Governor Winthrop
in Boston, and had them submit themselves and their lands to Massachusetts, and claim that the sale of Shawomet to Gorton was done "under duress." Now with a claim to Shawomet, Massachusetts directed Gorton and his followers to appear in Boston to answer "complaints" made by the two minor sachems. When Gorton refused, Massachusetts sent a party to Shawomet to arrest Gorton and his neighbors. The ensuing trial had nothing to do with the land claims, but instead focused on the writings and beliefs of Gorton, for which he and others in his group were imprisoned. Ultimately, Gorton was released and went to England where he was given legal title to his lands from the Earl of Warwick, and in his honor the settlement of Shawomet was renamed Warwick
.
Besides Roger Williams, Arnold was the only member of the colony who was highly proficient in the Narragansett and Wampanoag tongues, and he was often called upon to interpret during negotiations. In June 1645 he was sent by the General Court of Massachusetts to the Narragansett people to urge them to desist from engaging in a war with the Mohegans. On 28 July of the same year Arnold and two others were sent out to get the hostile tribes to send deputies to Boston to talk and make peace. This attempt failed, and a month later Arnold would not go back again, as he had been charged with mis-representing the reply of the tribes two months earlier, and Roger Williams went as interpreter in his place.
The issue of the Pawtuxet settlers remaining under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts was a constant irritant to Roger Williams, Gorton, and the other Providence and Warwick settlers. At a meeting of the General Court of Rhode Island held at Warwick on 22 May 1649 it was ordered that letters be sent to Arnold and the other Pawtuxet settlers in reference to their subjecting themselves to the Rhode Island colony. This did not happen, and the Pawtuxet settlers continued under Massachusetts for another nine years. Arnold and his father, while not laying claim to the Shawomet lands, nevertheless had extensive land holdings, and in 1650 Arnold paid a tax of five pounds, the highest in the colony, and his father paid three and a half pounds, the second highest amount.
In June 1650 Roger Williams wrote to Governor Winthrop
in Massachusetts saying that Arnold had bought a house and land at Newport
, with the intention to move there. While his reasons for moving were not revealed in his own writings, some historians have suggested that it was mercantile interests that compelled the move, while others have suggested political interests, or wanting to get away from the hostile atmosphere of Providence and Pawtuxet were reasons.
in 1638, they organized a quarterly court and English-style jury trial. In 1640 Newport established monthly courts, rights of appeal and trial by jury, whereas in Providence there was no court, no judge, and no jury. Newport was by far the most attractive settlement on the Narragansett Bay, with most of its settlers being educated.
Significant political events were taking place upon Arnold's arrival in Newport. William Coddington
had been successful in removing the island towns of Newport and Portsmouth from the government with the two mainland towns of Providence and Warwick under a commission he obtained earlier in England, and he was appointed as governor for life of the two island towns in 1651. Providence, feeling that the Patent of 1643 had been abandoned, sent Roger Williams
to England, and those on the island opposed to Coddington sent Dr. John Clarke, accompanied by William Dyer
, to have Coddington's charter annulled. Finding success, Williams and Dyer returned to New England, but Clarke remained in England for the next decade, acting as a diplomat to further the colony's interests. In February 1653 Dyer brought letters revoking Coddington's commission, with the authority of the government to proceed under the Patent of 1643, and the status quo of 1647. John Sanford
succeeded Coddington in 1653, and with the change of administration came the work leading to the reunification of the four towns under one government. In 1653 Arnold became a freeman
of Newport, and from that point forward served in some public capacity every year until his death in 1678. In 1654 he was selected as one of the commissioners from Newport (each of the four towns had six), and from 1655 to 1656 he was an Assistant. As a member of the Court of Commissioners he was very active, and a member of the most important committees. In 1655 he was appointed by the court with Roger Williams, Samuel Gorton and William Baulstone to frame a letter of thanksgiving to the English Lord President of the Council (on colonial affairs), and to present humble acknowledgments and submission of the colony to His Highness, the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell
, and the letter of reply from Cromwell was placed in the custody of Arnold. In 1657, at the age of 41, Arnold was elected as the President of the colony, succeeding Roger Williams in this capacity.
Arnold became President at a crucial time in Rhode Island's history. Tremendous political change was occurring in England, and this resulted in significant changes and opportunities for the little colony of Rhode Island, which was constantly being harassed by its larger, predatory neighbors, primarily Massachusetts and Connecticut. Since the overthrow and execution of England's King Charles I
in 1649, Oliver Cromwell had been running the country, but his death in 1658 marked the restoration
of the monarchy, and Charles II
ascended to the throne. Rhode Island was quick to adjust to the new political reality, and on 18 October 1660 the General Court of Commissioners met at Warwick, where two letters were read, one from Dr. Clarke telling of the Restoration, and one from His Majesty, containing the royal declaration and proclamation. Leaders in the colony set aside a special day of proclamation, where the citizens could recognize the new king.
Arnold, was succeeded as President in 1660 by William Brenton
, but continued for many years as a Commissioner, as well as an Assistant from 1660 to 1661. In these roles he headed a committee to draft and send a new commission to Dr. Clarke, giving due credit to the King's father, Charles I, for the Patent of 1643, which gave the Rhode Island colony its official existence. Reference was made of "sundry obstructions" stemming from "claims of neighbors about us," referring to interests that both the Massachusetts Bay Colony
and Connecticut Colony
had on the Narragansett lands. The document went on to include Dr. Clarke as the agent and attorney for the colony, and used deferential language toward "his most gracious and regall Majesty, Charles the Second, by the Grace of God, the most mighty and potent King of England." In this commission, the four towns of the Rhode Island colony declared their "unfayned affection" for the new king. This commission to Dr. Clarke, on behalf of the colony, armed the able diplomat with what he needed to fulfill his mission. He wrote a well-crafted letter on behalf of the colony asking for an experiment in liberty where the colony would become "a Republic of Liberty under Law, in which every man is king and no man subject."
(Massachusetts, Plymouth, New Haven and Connecticut) announced the arrival in 1657 of the Quakers, calling them notorious heretics, and calling for their speedy removal from the colonies. The United Colonies wanted the Quakers removed from Newport, and used the threat of withholding trade as leverage for their position. While Arnold was no friend of the Quakers, his reply, endorsed by the four Assistants (one from each town), demonstrated a firm adherence to the Rhode Island doctrine of religious tolerance. He wrote, "Concerning these Quakers (so-called), which are now among us, we have no law among us, whereby to punish any for only declaring by words, &c., theire mindes and understandings concerning the things and days of God, as to salvation and an eternal condition." He goes on to say that the Quakers find a "delight to be persecuted by civill [sic] powers," thus gaining more adherents to their cause. He felt that their doctrines tended to be very absolute, "cutting down and overturning relations and civil government among men..."
President Arnold promised Massachusetts Governor Simon Bradstreet
that at the next session of the General Assembly the Quakers' "extravagent outgoinges" would be considered, and he hoped some action would be taken to prevent the "bad effects of their doctrines and endeavors." At the March 1658 session of the Assembly, the Rhode Island doctrine of "freedom of different consciences" was reaffirmed, and a letter was sent to the Commissioners stating that if troubles arose from harboring Quakers, the matter would be presented to the supreme authority of England. Following this, no further complaints came from the other colonies.
, which historian Thomas Bicknell described as "the grandest instrument of human liberty ever constructed." Under this instrument Arnold became the first governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, with William Brenton
as his Deputy. The earlier governing body, the Court of Commissioners, was replaced with a legislature of ten Assistants and a House of Deputies, with six from Newport, and four each from Providence, Portsmouth and Warwick. One of the first acts performed by Arnold as governor was to address a letter to Governor Winthrop of Connecticut about running a line between the two colonies as provided by the Charter. In 1664 the King's Commissioners came to Rhode Island to settle claims of jurisdiction over the Narragansett country, specifically addressing rival claims between the Rhode Island and Connecticut colonies over land at Westerly and the settlement at Wickford
. While the commissioners were able to forestall a major confrontation, no substantial changes were made, and the disputes between the two colonies would continue for the next fifty years. The King's Commissioners also appointed Arnold as a justice of the peace and a magistrate of the "King's Province" (later Washington County, Rhode Island
).
In the election of 1666, Arnold retired from office, and was succeeded once again by William Brenton
. Nevertheless, he and others were compelled to sit in the Assembly as deputies "as the Court due desire their assistance." In 1669 Arnold was again chosen as Governor, and re-elected in 1670 when the controversy with Connecticut over disputed lands in King's Province and Westerly became acute. On 11 July of that year Arnold sent a strong letter to Connecticut's Governor Winthrop informing him of Rhode Island's determination to appeal to King Charles concerning "invasions and intrusions upon the lands and government of this Colony." There is no record, however, of this threat being carried through.
During this administration, the Quakers were finding the religious tolerance of Rhode Island to be a fertile ground for their missionaries, and they also found a safe haven from other colonies here. The Quakers not only found success in the spread of their religion, but also became a strong political force as well. Arnold was once again elected Governor in 1671, but in 1672 the governorship went to the Quaker Nicholas Easton
, and the Quakers would hold the reigns of power for three of the next five years. Arnold had, however, left a positive mark on the colony, and after more than ten years of Arnold leadership in the colony, the disorganization and fragmentary governments of the four towns were united and put in order, with courts established and an organized society put into motion.
complained that Arnold constantly traded with the Indians on the Sabbath day and was too liberal in providing them with powder. He further complained that Arnold would not sell items to the Warwick settlers unless they submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. The Warwick settlers also complained that he furnished the Indians with strong drink and wine, which was forbidden by the Warwick town council.
After leaving the governorship in 1672, Arnold likely attended to his commercial interests, and he was said to be the wealthiest person in the colony. He had a wharf and warehouse mentioned in his will, and he had commercial interests in the West Indies, evident from a 1674 letter that he wrote to his son-in-law, Roger Goulding, urging him to complete his (Arnold's) business in the Barbados
.
Arnold held several parcels of land in and around Newport, one of which he called his "Lemmington Farm," which was named after the village of Limington in his native Somerset
, England. In 1657 he was one of about a hundred individuals who purchased Conanicut Island
, the second largest island in the Narragansett Bay where the town of Jamestown
is currently located He also, with John Greene
acquired Goat Island and Coaster's Harbor Island, which later became the property of the town of Newport.
In 1657 he had a one-seventh interest in a company that bought a large tract of land in the Narragansett country known as the Pettaquamscutt Purchase, a tract that would later become South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He held this until his death, when the property was bequeathed to his three sons, Benedict, Josiah, and Oliver. He also owned two parcels of land in Newport, one where his wharf and warehouse were located, and the other the site of his mansion house.
, "the most disastrous conflict to ever devastate New England," left the mainland towns of Rhode Island in ruins. This confrontation between many indigenous people and the English settlers was named for Metacomet
, sachem of the Wampanoag
s, who was also called King Philip. Though much more at peace with the Indians than the other colonies, because of geography, the Rhode Island colony took the brunt of damage from this conflict, and the settlements of Warwick and Pawtuxet were totally destroyed, with much of Providence destroyed as well. Several of Arnold's relatives who lived in these areas fled to Long Island
, and his aged father had been moved from Pawtuxet to his brother's garrison house, but nevertheless did not survive the conflict. In April 1676 it was voted by the Assembly "that in these troublesome times and straits in this Colony, this Assembly desiring to have the advice and concurrence of the most judicious inhabitants, if it may be had for the good of the whole, do desire at their next sitting the company and counsel of Mr. Benedict Arnold..." and 15 others. Quakers were noted for their pacifism, and the Quaker Governor, Walter Clarke
was in office during the conflict. Even though the war had ended, in the election of 1677 the so-called "war party" was successful, and Arnold was voted back into office as Governor.
During this term his health began to fail, and though ill, Arnold was still re-elected in May 1678. He was too ill to leave his house, and his Deputy Governor, John Cranston along with two Assistants and a Recorder transacted the colony's business by visiting him at home. His health did not improve, and within a month of his latest election to Governor, he was dead.
Arnold wrote his will on 24 December 1677, during his last full term as governor. A codicil to the will was written the following February, and the governor died in June while still in office. On the 29th of June Samuel Hubbard of Newport wrote a letter to Dr. Edward Stennett of London, saying "Our Governor died the 19th day of June, 1678, buried 20th day, all this island was invited, many others was [sic] there, judged near a thousand people, brother Hiscox spoke there excellently led forth, I praise God." In his will Governor Arnold gave to his wife, for life, certain land with mansion house and "stone built wind mill." While there are romantic legends of early norse men coming to Newport and building the stone structure that continues to stand in the city, the strongest evidence suggests that the structure was the base of Arnold's windmill mentioned in his will.
Benedict Arnold, his wife, and many of his family are buried in the Arnold Burying Ground
located on Pelham Street in Newport. For many years the cemetery was buried under a garden in the back yard of a residence, but in 1949 a major renovation began whereby all the stones were unearthed, cleaned, and returned to their original positions. While there is no inscription on the slabs covering the graves of the governor and his wife, his grave is marked with a governor's medalion.
Lieutenant Governor and Rhode Island historian Samuel G. Arnold
wrote of him, "That he was no friend of the doctrines, or advocate of the conduct of the followers of Fox
[Quakers] is evident from his writings; but that like Williams
, he recognized the distinction between persecution and opposition, between legal force and moral suasion as applied to matters of opinion, is equally apparent. In politics and in theology he was alike the opponent of Coddington
and the friend of John Clarke and throughout his long and useful life he displayed talents of a brilliant order which were ever employed for the welfare of his fellow men."
and Julianna Marchante. They had nine children: Benedict, Caleb, Josiah, Damaris, William, Penelope, Oliver, Godsgift, and Freelove. All but William grew to adulthood, married, and had children. His son Caleb, a physician, married Abigail Wilbur, who was the granddaughter of both Samuel Wilbore
and John Porter
, two signers of the compact
establishing the town of Portsmouth with Anne Hutchinson
.
Notable descendants of Benedict Arnold, through his son Benedict, include his great-grandson, also named Benedict Arnold
, one of the great generals of the American Revolutionary War
who was best known for his treason to the American cause when he switched sides to fight with the British. Descendants through his son Caleb Arnold include Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
, American hero of the Great Lakes
during the War of 1812
and his younger brother Commodore Matthew C. Perry, who compelled the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa
in 1854; and Stephen Arnold Douglas who debated Abraham Lincoln
in 1858 before a senate race and later lost to him in the 1860 presidential election.
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
, serving for a total of 11 years in these roles. Coming from Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, he was born and raised in the town of Ilchester
Ilchester
Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, five miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. The parish, which includes the village of Sock Dennis and the old parish of Northover, has a population of 2,021...
, likely attending school in Limington
Limington
Limington is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated north of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 199...
, nearby. In 1635, at the age of 19, he accompanied his parents and siblings on a voyage from England to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, where they first settled in Hingham
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. In less than a year they moved to Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
on the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
at the request of Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
. In about 1638 they moved once again, about five miles south to the Pawtuxet River
Pawtuxet River
The Pawtuxet River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows and drains a watershed of . There are four dams along the river's length.-Course:...
, settling on the north side at a place commonly called Pawtuxet. Here they had serious disputes with their neighbors, particularly Samuel Gorton
Samuel Gorton
Samuel Gorton , was an early settler and civic leader of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and President of the towns of Providence and Warwick for one term...
, and as a result put themselves and their lands under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, a situation lasting for 16 years.
Learning the native languages at an early age, Arnold became one of the two leading interpreters in the Rhode Island colony, Roger Williams being the other. He was frequently called upon to interpret during negotiations with the natives, but on one occasion was accused by them of misrepresentation.
In 1651 Arnold left Providence and Pawtuxet with his family, settling in Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
where he began his public service which would last continuously until his death. He quickly became a freeman
Freeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
, Commissioner, and Assistant, and in 1657 succeeded Roger Williams as President of the colony, serving for three years. In 1662 he was once again elected President, and during the second year of this term the Royal Charter of 1663
Royal Charter of 1663
The Royal Charter of 1663 was a colonial charter giving English royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, providing a foundation for the government, and outlining broad freedoms for the inhabitants of that colony...
was delivered from England, naming him as the first Governor of the colony, and offering broad freedoms and self-determination to the colony.
A bold and decisive leader, Arnold was elected for two additional terms as governor, the last time following the devestation of King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
. He died on 19 June 1678 while still in office, and was buried in the Arnold Burying Ground
Arnold Burying Ground
Arnold Burying Ground is a historic cemetery on Pelham Street in Newport, Rhode Island that is burial place of Rhode Island Governor Benedict Arnold, the ancestor of traitor Benedict Arnold....
, located on Pelham Street in Newport. In his will he left to his wife his "stone built wind mill,"
Newport Tower (Rhode Island)
The Newport Tower is a round stone tower located in Touro Park in Newport, Rhode Island ....
which still stands as an important Newport landmark. His many descendants include General Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
, best known for his treason during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, and Stephen Arnold Douglas who debated Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in 1858, and lost to him during the 1860 presidential election.
Early life
Born 21 December 1615 in IlchesterIlchester
Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, five miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. The parish, which includes the village of Sock Dennis and the old parish of Northover, has a population of 2,021...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, Benedict Arnold was the second child and oldest son of William Arnold and Christian Peak. Living in the large town of Ilchester, he was familiar with the nearby villages of Northover
Church of St Andrew, Northover
The Church of St Andrew, Northover, Ilchester, Somerset, England dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is now a redundant church in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
, from where his grandparents Nicholas and Alice Arnold had come; Yeovilton
Yeovilton
Yeovilton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated east of Ilchester, north of Yeovil, in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of approximately 670....
, where his Aunt Joane's husband William Hopkins (ancestor of Rhode Island Governor Stephen Hopkins
Stephen Hopkins (politician)
Stephen Hopkins was an American political leader from Rhode Island who signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as the Chief Justice and Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and was a Delegate to the Colonial Congress in Albany in 1754 and to the...
) was from; and Limington
Limington
Limington is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated north of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 199...
, after which place he would name one of his properties in New England, calling it "Lemmington Farm. All four of these localities lie within two miles of each other. Arnold was likely educated at the Free Grammar School associated with the parish church in Limington, slightly more than a mile to the east of Ilchester. This ancient school is where Thomas Wolsey was the curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
and schoolmaster
Schoolmaster
A schoolmaster, or simply master, once referred to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British public schools, but is generally obsolete elsewhere.The teacher in charge of a school is the headmaster...
from 1500 to 1509. Wolsey later became the Lord Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and Primate of England.
At the age of 19, Arnold accompanied his parents and siblings aboard a ship destined for New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. With his parents, siblings, and other relatives and associates, the Arnolds gathered their baggage and supplies in the spring of 1635 and made the trip from Ilchester
Ilchester
Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, five miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. The parish, which includes the village of Sock Dennis and the old parish of Northover, has a population of 2,021...
to Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
on the coast of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. In a family record begun by his father, he wrote "Memorandom my father and his family Sett Sayle from Dartmouth in Old England, the first of May, friday &c. Arrived in New England June 24o Ano 1635. The name of the ship on which he sailed was not recorded, nor has it been identified since. It is possible that Stukeley Westcott
Stukeley Westcott
Stukeley Westcott was one of the founding settlers of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and one of the original members of the first Baptist Church in America, established by Roger Williams in 1638...
of Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, five miles south of Ilchester, was also on the same ship, bringing his family including his daughter Damaris, aged 15, the future wife of Arnold.
Upon their arrival in New England, the Arnolds joined a group of settlers from Hingham
Hingham, Norfolk
Hingham is a market town and civil parish in the Forehoe district in the heart of rural Norfolk, in England. The civil parish covers an area of and had a population of 2,078 in 944 households as of the 2001 census. Grand architecture surrounds the market place and village green...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England, where they established the new town of Hingham
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. William Arnold received title to a house lot here in September 1635, but the following spring he and several other settlers were persuaded by Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
to join him in establishing a new settlement on the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
, named Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. In the family record the younger Arnold wrote, "Memm. We came to Providence to Dwell the 20th of April, 1636. per me Bennedict Arnold." Arnold received a house lot on what is now North Main Street in Providence, and his father was granted the second lot south of his.
Providence and Pawtuxet
In 1637 Arnold was one of 13 settlers who signed a compact agreeing to subject themselves to any agreements made by a majority of the masters of families. About 1638 he accompanied his father, his brother-in-law William CarpenterWilliam Carpenter (Rhode Island)
William Carpenter William Carpenter William Carpenter (born about 1610 probably in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England - died September 7, 1685 at Providence (Pawtuxet section now in Cranston, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) was a co-founder of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
and Robert Cole in a move about five miles south to the Pawtuxet River
Pawtuxet River
The Pawtuxet River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows and drains a watershed of . There are four dams along the river's length.-Course:...
. The settlement, called Pawtuxet, was still within the jurisdiction of Providence (and later became a part of Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 80,387 at the 2010 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...
). On 17 July 1640 Arnold signed an agreement with 38 other Providence residents to form a more compact government "to preserve the peace and insure the prosperity of a growing community." It did neither, especially after the arrival of Samuel Gorton
Samuel Gorton
Samuel Gorton , was an early settler and civic leader of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and President of the towns of Providence and Warwick for one term...
in Providence, who Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
wrote was "bewitching and bemadding poor Providence." In one incident, "Upon the attempt to enforce the execution of an award against Francis Weston made by eight men orderly chosen, Gorton, with many of his followers, assailed the representatives of law and order making a tumultuous hubbub." In a petition that Arnold wrote, dated 17 November 1741, he with 12 others formally applied to Massachusetts for help, asking the government there to "lend us a neighborlike helping hand." Massachusetts replied that they could not help unless the complainants fell under their jurisdiction.
Being highly offended by Gorton, who had moved with some of his adherents to Pawtuxet, the Arnolds, Cole, and Carpenter went to Boston, and on 2 September 1642 submitted themselves to the government and jurisdiction of Massachusetts. They were received by the General Court there, and appointed justices of the peace. In doing this, these settlers allowed a foreign jurisdiction into the midst of the Providence government, a condition that would last for 16 years. Gorton, unhappy about being under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, then moved with his followers another 12 miles further south, settling at a place called Shawomet, beyond the limits of Massachusetts' jurisdiction.
Wampanoag
The Wampanoag In the 1600s when encountered by the English, the Wampanoag lived in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as within a territory that encompassed current day Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket...
native languages, and harboring an intense dislike of Gorton, Arnold and his father devised a scheme to undermine their adversary, and to simultaneously obtain extensive lands from the local Indians. Gorton had purchased Shawomet from Miantonomi, the chief sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
of the Narragansett people. Two minor sachems, Ponham and Sacononoco, had some control of the lands at Pawtuxet and Shawomet, and Arnold, acting as interpreter, took these chieftans to Governor Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
in Boston, and had them submit themselves and their lands to Massachusetts, and claim that the sale of Shawomet to Gorton was done "under duress." Now with a claim to Shawomet, Massachusetts directed Gorton and his followers to appear in Boston to answer "complaints" made by the two minor sachems. When Gorton refused, Massachusetts sent a party to Shawomet to arrest Gorton and his neighbors. The ensuing trial had nothing to do with the land claims, but instead focused on the writings and beliefs of Gorton, for which he and others in his group were imprisoned. Ultimately, Gorton was released and went to England where he was given legal title to his lands from the Earl of Warwick, and in his honor the settlement of Shawomet was renamed Warwick
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
.
Besides Roger Williams, Arnold was the only member of the colony who was highly proficient in the Narragansett and Wampanoag tongues, and he was often called upon to interpret during negotiations. In June 1645 he was sent by the General Court of Massachusetts to the Narragansett people to urge them to desist from engaging in a war with the Mohegans. On 28 July of the same year Arnold and two others were sent out to get the hostile tribes to send deputies to Boston to talk and make peace. This attempt failed, and a month later Arnold would not go back again, as he had been charged with mis-representing the reply of the tribes two months earlier, and Roger Williams went as interpreter in his place.
The issue of the Pawtuxet settlers remaining under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts was a constant irritant to Roger Williams, Gorton, and the other Providence and Warwick settlers. At a meeting of the General Court of Rhode Island held at Warwick on 22 May 1649 it was ordered that letters be sent to Arnold and the other Pawtuxet settlers in reference to their subjecting themselves to the Rhode Island colony. This did not happen, and the Pawtuxet settlers continued under Massachusetts for another nine years. Arnold and his father, while not laying claim to the Shawomet lands, nevertheless had extensive land holdings, and in 1650 Arnold paid a tax of five pounds, the highest in the colony, and his father paid three and a half pounds, the second highest amount.
In June 1650 Roger Williams wrote to Governor Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
in Massachusetts saying that Arnold had bought a house and land at Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, with the intention to move there. While his reasons for moving were not revealed in his own writings, some historians have suggested that it was mercantile interests that compelled the move, while others have suggested political interests, or wanting to get away from the hostile atmosphere of Providence and Pawtuxet were reasons.
Newport and politics
In 1651 Arnold left troubled Providence and Pawtuxet for the politically enlightened island of Aquidneck, settling in Newport. He recorded in the family record, "Memorandum. We came from Providence with our family to Dwell at Newport in Rhode Island the 19th of November, Thursday in afternoon, & arrived ye same night Ano. Domina 1651. With only a few exceptions, men from Newport held the reigns of power for the first century of Rhode Island history. When the first English settlers came to Aquidneck IslandAquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
in 1638, they organized a quarterly court and English-style jury trial. In 1640 Newport established monthly courts, rights of appeal and trial by jury, whereas in Providence there was no court, no judge, and no jury. Newport was by far the most attractive settlement on the Narragansett Bay, with most of its settlers being educated.
Significant political events were taking place upon Arnold's arrival in Newport. William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
had been successful in removing the island towns of Newport and Portsmouth from the government with the two mainland towns of Providence and Warwick under a commission he obtained earlier in England, and he was appointed as governor for life of the two island towns in 1651. Providence, feeling that the Patent of 1643 had been abandoned, sent Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
to England, and those on the island opposed to Coddington sent Dr. John Clarke, accompanied by William Dyer
Mary Dyer
Mary Baker Dyer was an English Puritan turned Quaker who was hanged in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony , for repeatedly defying a Puritan law banning Quakers from the colony...
, to have Coddington's charter annulled. Finding success, Williams and Dyer returned to New England, but Clarke remained in England for the next decade, acting as a diplomat to further the colony's interests. In February 1653 Dyer brought letters revoking Coddington's commission, with the authority of the government to proceed under the Patent of 1643, and the status quo of 1647. John Sanford
John Sanford (governor)
John Sanford , was an early settler of Boston, Massachusetts, an original settler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and a governor of the combined towns of Portsmouth and Newport, in the Rhode Island colony, dying in office after serving for less than a full term...
succeeded Coddington in 1653, and with the change of administration came the work leading to the reunification of the four towns under one government. In 1653 Arnold became a freeman
Freeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
of Newport, and from that point forward served in some public capacity every year until his death in 1678. In 1654 he was selected as one of the commissioners from Newport (each of the four towns had six), and from 1655 to 1656 he was an Assistant. As a member of the Court of Commissioners he was very active, and a member of the most important committees. In 1655 he was appointed by the court with Roger Williams, Samuel Gorton and William Baulstone to frame a letter of thanksgiving to the English Lord President of the Council (on colonial affairs), and to present humble acknowledgments and submission of the colony to His Highness, the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, and the letter of reply from Cromwell was placed in the custody of Arnold. In 1657, at the age of 41, Arnold was elected as the President of the colony, succeeding Roger Williams in this capacity.
Terms as president
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in 1649, Oliver Cromwell had been running the country, but his death in 1658 marked the restoration
Restoration (1660)
The term Restoration in reference to the year 1660 refers to the restoration of Charles II to his realms across the British Empire at that time.-England:...
of the monarchy, and Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
ascended to the throne. Rhode Island was quick to adjust to the new political reality, and on 18 October 1660 the General Court of Commissioners met at Warwick, where two letters were read, one from Dr. Clarke telling of the Restoration, and one from His Majesty, containing the royal declaration and proclamation. Leaders in the colony set aside a special day of proclamation, where the citizens could recognize the new king.
Arnold, was succeeded as President in 1660 by William Brenton
William Brenton
William Brenton was a colonial President, Deputy Governor, and Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and an early settler of Portsmouth and Newport in the Rhode Island colony...
, but continued for many years as a Commissioner, as well as an Assistant from 1660 to 1661. In these roles he headed a committee to draft and send a new commission to Dr. Clarke, giving due credit to the King's father, Charles I, for the Patent of 1643, which gave the Rhode Island colony its official existence. Reference was made of "sundry obstructions" stemming from "claims of neighbors about us," referring to interests that both the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
and Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
had on the Narragansett lands. The document went on to include Dr. Clarke as the agent and attorney for the colony, and used deferential language toward "his most gracious and regall Majesty, Charles the Second, by the Grace of God, the most mighty and potent King of England." In this commission, the four towns of the Rhode Island colony declared their "unfayned affection" for the new king. This commission to Dr. Clarke, on behalf of the colony, armed the able diplomat with what he needed to fulfill his mission. He wrote a well-crafted letter on behalf of the colony asking for an experiment in liberty where the colony would become "a Republic of Liberty under Law, in which every man is king and no man subject."
Dealings with the Quakers
A 1658 letter from the United ColoniesNew England Confederation
The United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a short-lived military alliance of the English colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven. Established in 1643, its primary purpose was to unite the Puritan colonies against the Native...
(Massachusetts, Plymouth, New Haven and Connecticut) announced the arrival in 1657 of the Quakers, calling them notorious heretics, and calling for their speedy removal from the colonies. The United Colonies wanted the Quakers removed from Newport, and used the threat of withholding trade as leverage for their position. While Arnold was no friend of the Quakers, his reply, endorsed by the four Assistants (one from each town), demonstrated a firm adherence to the Rhode Island doctrine of religious tolerance. He wrote, "Concerning these Quakers (so-called), which are now among us, we have no law among us, whereby to punish any for only declaring by words, &c., theire mindes and understandings concerning the things and days of God, as to salvation and an eternal condition." He goes on to say that the Quakers find a "delight to be persecuted by civill [sic] powers," thus gaining more adherents to their cause. He felt that their doctrines tended to be very absolute, "cutting down and overturning relations and civil government among men..."
President Arnold promised Massachusetts Governor Simon Bradstreet
Simon Bradstreet
Simon Bradstreet was a colonial magistrate, businessman, diplomat, and the last governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Arriving in Massachusetts on the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, Bradstreet was almost constantly involved in the politics of the colony but became its governor only in 1679...
that at the next session of the General Assembly the Quakers' "extravagent outgoinges" would be considered, and he hoped some action would be taken to prevent the "bad effects of their doctrines and endeavors." At the March 1658 session of the Assembly, the Rhode Island doctrine of "freedom of different consciences" was reaffirmed, and a letter was sent to the Commissioners stating that if troubles arose from harboring Quakers, the matter would be presented to the supreme authority of England. Following this, no further complaints came from the other colonies.
Terms as governor
In 1662 Arnold was once again elected President of the colony, and in the second year of this term, the result of Clarke's earlier diplomacy came to fruition with the Royal Charter of 1663Royal Charter of 1663
The Royal Charter of 1663 was a colonial charter giving English royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, providing a foundation for the government, and outlining broad freedoms for the inhabitants of that colony...
, which historian Thomas Bicknell described as "the grandest instrument of human liberty ever constructed." Under this instrument Arnold became the first governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, with William Brenton
William Brenton
William Brenton was a colonial President, Deputy Governor, and Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and an early settler of Portsmouth and Newport in the Rhode Island colony...
as his Deputy. The earlier governing body, the Court of Commissioners, was replaced with a legislature of ten Assistants and a House of Deputies, with six from Newport, and four each from Providence, Portsmouth and Warwick. One of the first acts performed by Arnold as governor was to address a letter to Governor Winthrop of Connecticut about running a line between the two colonies as provided by the Charter. In 1664 the King's Commissioners came to Rhode Island to settle claims of jurisdiction over the Narragansett country, specifically addressing rival claims between the Rhode Island and Connecticut colonies over land at Westerly and the settlement at Wickford
Wickford, Rhode Island
Wickford is a small village in the town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, which is named after Wickford in Essex, England. Wickford is located on the west side of Narragansett Bay, just about a 20 minute drive across two bridges from Newport, Rhode Island...
. While the commissioners were able to forestall a major confrontation, no substantial changes were made, and the disputes between the two colonies would continue for the next fifty years. The King's Commissioners also appointed Arnold as a justice of the peace and a magistrate of the "King's Province" (later Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington County, commonly known colloquially as South County, is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Washington County borders Kent County to the north, New London County in Connecticut to the west, Suffolk County in New York to the southwest, the Atlantic...
).
In the election of 1666, Arnold retired from office, and was succeeded once again by William Brenton
William Brenton
William Brenton was a colonial President, Deputy Governor, and Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and an early settler of Portsmouth and Newport in the Rhode Island colony...
. Nevertheless, he and others were compelled to sit in the Assembly as deputies "as the Court due desire their assistance." In 1669 Arnold was again chosen as Governor, and re-elected in 1670 when the controversy with Connecticut over disputed lands in King's Province and Westerly became acute. On 11 July of that year Arnold sent a strong letter to Connecticut's Governor Winthrop informing him of Rhode Island's determination to appeal to King Charles concerning "invasions and intrusions upon the lands and government of this Colony." There is no record, however, of this threat being carried through.
During this administration, the Quakers were finding the religious tolerance of Rhode Island to be a fertile ground for their missionaries, and they also found a safe haven from other colonies here. The Quakers not only found success in the spread of their religion, but also became a strong political force as well. Arnold was once again elected Governor in 1671, but in 1672 the governorship went to the Quaker Nicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony towns of Ipswich,...
, and the Quakers would hold the reigns of power for three of the next five years. Arnold had, however, left a positive mark on the colony, and after more than ten years of Arnold leadership in the colony, the disorganization and fragmentary governments of the four towns were united and put in order, with courts established and an organized society put into motion.
Business and land interests
While Arnold's usefulness had been in great demand for the welfare of the colony, his successful political career was mirrored by equally successful agricultural and mercantile pursuits. While living at Pawtuxet he became agent for arms, ammunition and liquors, and had an establishment on the Warwick side of the river offering Boston goods and provisions in demand at the time. In his book Simplicities Defense, Samuel GortonSamuel Gorton
Samuel Gorton , was an early settler and civic leader of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and President of the towns of Providence and Warwick for one term...
complained that Arnold constantly traded with the Indians on the Sabbath day and was too liberal in providing them with powder. He further complained that Arnold would not sell items to the Warwick settlers unless they submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. The Warwick settlers also complained that he furnished the Indians with strong drink and wine, which was forbidden by the Warwick town council.
After leaving the governorship in 1672, Arnold likely attended to his commercial interests, and he was said to be the wealthiest person in the colony. He had a wharf and warehouse mentioned in his will, and he had commercial interests in the West Indies, evident from a 1674 letter that he wrote to his son-in-law, Roger Goulding, urging him to complete his (Arnold's) business in the Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
.
Arnold held several parcels of land in and around Newport, one of which he called his "Lemmington Farm," which was named after the village of Limington in his native Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. In 1657 he was one of about a hundred individuals who purchased Conanicut Island
Conanicut Island
Conanicut Island is the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. It is connected on the east to Newport, Rhode Island, on Aquidneck Island by the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, and on the west to North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on the...
, the second largest island in the Narragansett Bay where the town of Jamestown
Jamestown, Rhode Island
Jamestown is a town located in Newport County, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 5,405 at the 2010 census. Jamestown is situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island, the second largest island in Narragansett Bay.-History:...
is currently located He also, with John Greene
John Greene, Jr.
John Greene Jr. was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations who spent almost his entire adult life in the public service of the colony. Born in England, he was the son of John Greene and Joan Tattersall, and sailed to New England with his parents in 1635 aboard...
acquired Goat Island and Coaster's Harbor Island, which later became the property of the town of Newport.
In 1657 he had a one-seventh interest in a company that bought a large tract of land in the Narragansett country known as the Pettaquamscutt Purchase, a tract that would later become South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He held this until his death, when the property was bequeathed to his three sons, Benedict, Josiah, and Oliver. He also owned two parcels of land in Newport, one where his wharf and warehouse were located, and the other the site of his mansion house.
King Philip's War
From 1675 to 1676, King Philip's WarKing Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, "the most disastrous conflict to ever devastate New England," left the mainland towns of Rhode Island in ruins. This confrontation between many indigenous people and the English settlers was named for Metacomet
Metacomet
Metacomet , also known as King Philip or Metacom, or occasionally Pometacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philip's War, a widespread Native American uprising against English colonists in New England.-Biography:Metacomet was the second son of Massasoit...
, sachem of the Wampanoag
Wampanoag
The Wampanoag In the 1600s when encountered by the English, the Wampanoag lived in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as within a territory that encompassed current day Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket...
s, who was also called King Philip. Though much more at peace with the Indians than the other colonies, because of geography, the Rhode Island colony took the brunt of damage from this conflict, and the settlements of Warwick and Pawtuxet were totally destroyed, with much of Providence destroyed as well. Several of Arnold's relatives who lived in these areas fled to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and his aged father had been moved from Pawtuxet to his brother's garrison house, but nevertheless did not survive the conflict. In April 1676 it was voted by the Assembly "that in these troublesome times and straits in this Colony, this Assembly desiring to have the advice and concurrence of the most judicious inhabitants, if it may be had for the good of the whole, do desire at their next sitting the company and counsel of Mr. Benedict Arnold..." and 15 others. Quakers were noted for their pacifism, and the Quaker Governor, Walter Clarke
Walter Clarke (governor)
Walter Clarke was an early Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and the first native-born governor of the colony. The son of colonial President Jeremy Clarke, he was a Quaker like his father. While in his late 20s, he was elected as a Deputy from Newport, and in 1673...
was in office during the conflict. Even though the war had ended, in the election of 1677 the so-called "war party" was successful, and Arnold was voted back into office as Governor.
During this term his health began to fail, and though ill, Arnold was still re-elected in May 1678. He was too ill to leave his house, and his Deputy Governor, John Cranston along with two Assistants and a Recorder transacted the colony's business by visiting him at home. His health did not improve, and within a month of his latest election to Governor, he was dead.
Death and legacy
Benedict Arnold, his wife, and many of his family are buried in the Arnold Burying Ground
Arnold Burying Ground
Arnold Burying Ground is a historic cemetery on Pelham Street in Newport, Rhode Island that is burial place of Rhode Island Governor Benedict Arnold, the ancestor of traitor Benedict Arnold....
located on Pelham Street in Newport. For many years the cemetery was buried under a garden in the back yard of a residence, but in 1949 a major renovation began whereby all the stones were unearthed, cleaned, and returned to their original positions. While there is no inscription on the slabs covering the graves of the governor and his wife, his grave is marked with a governor's medalion.
Lieutenant Governor and Rhode Island historian Samuel G. Arnold
Samuel G. Arnold
Samuel Greene Arnold, Jr. was a United States Senator from Rhode Island. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he received his early education under private tutors, and graduated from Brown University in 1841 and, in 1845, the law department of Harvard University, gaining admission to the bar that year...
wrote of him, "That he was no friend of the doctrines, or advocate of the conduct of the followers of Fox
George Fox
George Fox was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends.The son of a Leicestershire weaver, Fox lived in a time of great social upheaval and war...
[Quakers] is evident from his writings; but that like Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
, he recognized the distinction between persecution and opposition, between legal force and moral suasion as applied to matters of opinion, is equally apparent. In politics and in theology he was alike the opponent of Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
and the friend of John Clarke and throughout his long and useful life he displayed talents of a brilliant order which were ever employed for the welfare of his fellow men."
Family and descendants
Arnold was married on 17 December 1640 to Damaris, the daughter of Stukeley WestcottStukeley Westcott
Stukeley Westcott was one of the founding settlers of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and one of the original members of the first Baptist Church in America, established by Roger Williams in 1638...
and Julianna Marchante. They had nine children: Benedict, Caleb, Josiah, Damaris, William, Penelope, Oliver, Godsgift, and Freelove. All but William grew to adulthood, married, and had children. His son Caleb, a physician, married Abigail Wilbur, who was the granddaughter of both Samuel Wilbore
Samuel Wilbore
Samuel Wilbore was one of the founding settlers of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Coming from Essex, England with his wife and three sons, he first settled in Boston in 1633...
and John Porter
John Porter (settler)
John Porter was an early colonist in New England and a signer of the Portsmouth Compact, establishing the first government in what became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
, two signers of the compact
Portsmouth Compact
The Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
establishing the town of Portsmouth with Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
.
Notable descendants of Benedict Arnold, through his son Benedict, include his great-grandson, also named Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
, one of the great generals of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
who was best known for his treason to the American cause when he switched sides to fight with the British. Descendants through his son Caleb Arnold include Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry
United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
, American hero of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and his younger brother Commodore Matthew C. Perry, who compelled the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa
Convention of Kanagawa
On March 31, 1854, the or was concluded between Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the U.S. Navy and the Tokugawa shogunate.-Treaty of Peace and Amity :...
in 1854; and Stephen Arnold Douglas who debated Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in 1858 before a senate race and later lost to him in the 1860 presidential election.
Ancestry of Benedict and Damaris Arnold
See also
- List of colonial governors of Rhode Island
- Newport Tower (Rhode Island)Newport Tower (Rhode Island)The Newport Tower is a round stone tower located in Touro Park in Newport, Rhode Island ....
- Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsColony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsThe Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
- List of early settlers of Rhode Island
External links
- Gravesite of Benedict Arnold at Find-A-Grave
- Rhode Island History from the State of Rhode Island General Assembly website
- Will of Governor Benedict Arnold on a personal website
- Chronological list of Rhode Island leaders