Skip to main content

Secondary sourceBook1899

The Crisis of the Revolution: Arnold and André

William Abbatt · 1899

An 1899 history collecting all available sources on Arnold's treason and André's capture and death, illustrated with photographs of the relevant sites.

A detailed secondary study of Arnold's treason, useful for examining how later historians judged him.

Ask Benedict Arnold about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
The Crisis of the Revolution: Arnold and AndréPDF · 296 pages
William Abbatt, The Crisis of the Revolution: the story of Arnold and André, 1899. Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is a book published in 1899 by William Abbatt, bringing together documents and accounts about Benedict Arnold's treason and the fate of British officer John André. It includes photographs of places connected to the events.

Why it matters

Written over a century after the events, this book shows how Americans of the late 1800s still saw Arnold's betrayal as a dramatic turning point in the Revolution. It reflects how the story of Arnold and André was remembered and retold for later generations.

Look closer

  • Why might a historian in 1899 still find this story worth collecting in such detail?
  • How might using photographs of places change the way readers understand the events?
  • What does the title's word 'crisis' suggest about how the author viewed Arnold's actions?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Benedict Arnold on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Benedict Arnold sources

Meet the AI Benedict Arnold →
Printed reproduction of a handwritten page of cipher text on cream paper, with two columns of coded symbols and numbers, signatures at lower right, and the caption 'One of the Treason Letters in Cypher' beneath. A New York Public Library stamp appears at bottom.Letter

Primary source

Arnold Treason Cipher Letter

Benedict Arnold; Peggy Shippen Arnold · 1780

Scan of a handwritten oath of allegiance on aged, yellowed paper. Printed text declares allegiance to the United States of America and renounces King George the Third. Handwritten name 'Benedict Arnold, Major General' and office 'Major General' are filled in, with a signature 'B. Arnold' and a jurat reading 'Sworn before me this 30th May 1778 at the Artillery Park Valley Forge' signed by an officer.Document

Primary source

Benedict Arnold's Oath of Allegiance

Continental Congress · 30 May 1778

Colour print of a standing man in a tricorn hat with gold trim, a blue coat with gold epaulette and buttons, a tan waistcoat, a red sash, and a sword hilt. He gestures toward a town with church spires across a river, with palm fronds behind him.Painting

Primary source

Portrait of Benedict Arnold

Thomas Hart · 26 March 1776

A weathered wooden gunboat displayed in a museum gallery, with a cannon at its bow, a mast, and a placard reading 'Continental Gondola Philadelphia' in the foreground. Its hull planks are dark and worn.Artifact

Primary source

USS Philadelphia

1776

Black-and-white mezzotint portrait of a man in an 18th-century military uniform with a tricorn hat, standing before a dark wooded background and a town view on the left, gesturing with one hand. Caption text is printed below.Painting

Primary source

Colonel Arnold

Thomas Hart · 1776

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Benedict Arnold now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions