Skip to main content

Secondary sourcePainting

Treason of Arnold: Arnold Persuades André to Conceal the Papers in His Boot

Charles F. Blauvelt

A 19th-century engraving dramatizing the moment Arnold convinced Major André to hide incriminating papers, part of the plot that exposed Arnold's betrayal.

This print depicts Arnold directly involved in hiding the papers that would expose his plot with André.

Ask Benedict Arnold about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Engraved print titled 'Treason of Arnold', showing two men in 18th-century military coats in an interior room with a fireplace, table, and chairs. A seated officer leans toward a standing officer who reaches out and takes his hand. Caption below reads 'Arnold persuades Andre to conceal the papers in his boot'.
Charles F. Blauvelt, Treason of Arnold: Arnold Persuades André to Conceal the Papers in His Boot, engraving. Library of Congress.

About this source

What it is

This engraving, painted by Charles F. Blauvelt, shows two men in 18th-century military coats in an interior room. The caption identifies them as Arnold persuading Major André to conceal papers in his boot.

Why it matters

The image refers to the plot in which Arnold arranged to hand West Point to the British; André was carrying papers related to the scheme when captured, leading to the plan's discovery. The print is held by the Library of Congress and shows how popular 19th-century art dramatized Arnold as the archetypal traitor.

Look closer

  • What details in the room suggest this is a private, secretive conversation?
  • Why might an artist decades later choose to depict this exact moment?
  • What does the scene suggest about the relationship between Arnold and André?

This painting 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