Historical : Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

It seems to me that these guys were the most infamous figures in American history. So who do you find more deplorable?

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Benedict Arnold. The man betrayed his country out of wounded pride, money, and a commission in the British Army. At least Booth felt that he was doing the best thing for his country.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

''Benedict Arnold. The man betrayed his country out of wounded pride, money, and a commission in the British Army.''

You have to remember that there wasn't actually a USA really, as it was still a British colony. Benedict Arnold was technically a British citizen, and Washington a British citizen and traitor (to the nation in which he was a citizen of). The whole issue with Benedict Arnold was more nuanced and less-simplistic than you have painted it.

---------------------
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Well im not really sure who Benedict Arnold is so I will go for John Wilkes Booth as I know what that rotter did! P.S. Im Irish and we have far too much history of our own to study to know much about the five minutes you lot have been around, sorry!

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Well, according to the book, "The Inferno", the ninth circle and the very bottom of Hell is reserved for traitors. Murderers go to the seventh circle of Hell which is reserved for the violent.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Who's act caused the most damage? There is the answer.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?


Benedict Arnold. The man betrayed his country out of wounded pride

His country was Great Britain. Just because the revolutionaries won doesn't mean it wasn't treason. I'm not knocking their effort, but it doesn't change the facts.

His reasons were certainly selfish and more with personal gain in mind, I think that's more the problem.


Arnold was caught and hanged before he could do major damage to the country.

No, he wasn't. I think you're confusing him with the British agent who was caught. Arnold served the British Army, moved to England, retired and died at age 60.


Booth altered the course of history.

I'm not sure he "altered" history, but it was a major scandal and hurt his own cause more than he imagined.


Well, according to the book, "The Inferno", the ninth circle and the very bottom of Hell is reserved for traitors.

Well, Benedict Arnold would go there for changing sides, but wouldn't that put the Continental Congress and commanders of the Continental Army there as well? And wouldn't that put John Wilkes Booth there, seeing as he joined rebellious states? Even if you don't see it that way, Lincoln would be his commander-in-chief just before the war and just after, so killing him would be an act of treason.


Who's act caused the most damage? There is the answer.

Actually, Benedict Arnold was at first a blessing to the American Revolution. Most people forget he was one of the Continental Army's best commanders and (for all intensive purposes) won the Battles of Saratoga. It's often considered the turning point of the war, and secured direct French intervention with troops. Without him and that victory, the war effort would be in a spot of bother.

His attempt to surrender West Point was botched, and in any event his attempts to weaken the fort didn't help much, seeing as the British did not attack it. His actions as a general for the British could certainly be seen as detrimental, but ultimately it failed to inflict the desired damage and didn't change the war in Britain's favor.

John Wilkes Booth didn't change the events set in motion, but some argue that he killed the man who was most willing to be lenient with the Confederacy. Even Confederates and Southerners condemned the act. It certainly hurt sympathy for the Southern plight. Ultimately it was a tragedy on a national level and further heightened post-war emotions.

Of the two, easily I'd say John Wilkes Booth was worse. Benedict Arnold at least did something major to help the initial cause, and the United States should nonetheless be thankful for his victory - his treason was ultimately ineffectual. It was more an insult than a game changer. John Wilkes Booth murdered a man and people on both sides shook their heads in disbelief.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Great post, pelopen3bc, and I thoroughly agree with your points.

---------------------
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

I consider neither of them truly evil.

"It's not about money.... It's about sending a Message..... Everything Burns!!!"

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

The question was not technically whether they were evil or not but which did the worst thing (which is clearly Booth).

If I was to pick one as truly evil it would be John Wilkes Booth as he supported slavery in a time when he should have known better (1860s). The 1860s was too modern a time for slavery and the fact that the USA still had it was due to the fact it was more a backwater than the powerhouse that it would later become.

---------------------
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Booth is far worse than Arnold. Booth's killing of Lincoln changed the course of history for the worse as Lincoln planned on deporting the blacks back to Africa after the Civil War.


In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.

Re: Who's Worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Benedict Arnold for me.

Volker Flenske: (While torturing David) I don't know why you're doing this to yourself!

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

I understand for a long time after the Civil War Booth was actually revered as a hero in the Deep South and not infamous.

"50, count 'em 50, ambassadors will definitely appear at the peace conference."

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

I wonder what Willard Sterne Randall would say.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Obviously John Wilkes Booth was far more evil, since he committed murder as part of his treason.

Benedict Arnold, on the other hand, repented of his treason and returned to his rightful allegiance to king and country and tried to help defeat the other traitors.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

I see all the Brits here giving Arnold a pass, because there was no "American Government"

Well there actually was---Otherwise there would have been no peace.

And for awhile Arnold was a big part of the revolution

NOBODY love a traitor to the cause


Booth, however misguided, believed in his cause

You don't have to stand tall, but you do have to stand up!

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

And I say that Benedict Arnold joined a group of rebels and traitors against the legally established government and then after a few years returned to his true loyalty and fought against the rebels.

I say that the revolutionaries and Continentals were all a bunch of criminals until the peace treaty was signed and ratified in 1783. And that only made what they did afterwards legal. Everything which the Americans did before the treaty was still a crime.

Benedict Arnold was a traitor when he served the revolution, not afterwards.

The way American history usually reverses the periods during which Arnold was a traitor vs serving his country is an example of the winners rewriting the history to make it seem like they were right all along.

"treason doth never prosper
what's the reason
If it doth prosper
none dare call it treason"

Since there is freedom of speech where I live I dare call it treason.

And in case you are wondering, I am a citizen of the United States, not the United Kingdom.

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

It must be hard----walking around with your head up your arse


You don't have to stand tall, but you do have to stand up!

Re: Who's worse? John Wilkes Booth or Benedict Arnold?

Booth killed a mass murdering maniac imperialist.

Arnold was the best American General of the Revolution, and got screwed over REPEATEDLY by the Revolutionary government, I would have done the same.
Top