History: Beyond the Textbook

2.8: Dueling Bens: Arnold, Franklin, and the Turning Point at Saratoga

April 09, 2024 Alex Mattke Season 2 Episode 8
2.8: Dueling Bens: Arnold, Franklin, and the Turning Point at Saratoga
History: Beyond the Textbook
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History: Beyond the Textbook
2.8: Dueling Bens: Arnold, Franklin, and the Turning Point at Saratoga
Apr 09, 2024 Season 2 Episode 8
Alex Mattke

One man was all-in for independence dating back to the years before the first shots at Lexington and Concord, while the other held out hope for a moderate solution and was even accused of holding sympathies to the British cause.  One is Benjamin Franklin, and the other is Benedict Arnold, and both will play a role in the Battle of Saratoga in upstate New York, one as a soldier, the other as a politician attempting to win allies to the American cause.  It’s this critical turning point that forms the basis of today’s story.  On this episode of History: beyond the Textbook, we explore the Revolutionary lives and actions of the Dueling Bens: Franklin, Arnold, and the turning point of the American Revolution.

Key People
Benjamin Franklin
Benedict Arnold
General Johnny Burgoyne
Margaret "Peggy" Shippen
General Horatio Gates

Key Events
Battle of Saratoga
Franco-American Alliance
Invasion of Canada

The second season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped the Revolutionary era in American history, and runs from February 27-May 7.

Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions at: hbttpodcast@gmail.com

Show Notes

One man was all-in for independence dating back to the years before the first shots at Lexington and Concord, while the other held out hope for a moderate solution and was even accused of holding sympathies to the British cause.  One is Benjamin Franklin, and the other is Benedict Arnold, and both will play a role in the Battle of Saratoga in upstate New York, one as a soldier, the other as a politician attempting to win allies to the American cause.  It’s this critical turning point that forms the basis of today’s story.  On this episode of History: beyond the Textbook, we explore the Revolutionary lives and actions of the Dueling Bens: Franklin, Arnold, and the turning point of the American Revolution.

Key People
Benjamin Franklin
Benedict Arnold
General Johnny Burgoyne
Margaret "Peggy" Shippen
General Horatio Gates

Key Events
Battle of Saratoga
Franco-American Alliance
Invasion of Canada

The second season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped the Revolutionary era in American history, and runs from February 27-May 7.

Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions at: hbttpodcast@gmail.com