Today marks the publication of my book, GOD SAVE BENEDICT ARNOLD: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man. Now is as good a time as any to pick up a copy.
The occasion has made me consider why I write books about the American Revolution. Exciting stories, yes. Interesting characters, a fascinating and consequential time in our history. But there’s more to it.
I continue to believe that the American Revolution is our Revolution. We are the indigenous, the immigrants, the pioneers, the mechanics and artists, the foolish and the wise, those who choose their own paths through life. Our nation includes those brothers and sisters who have fallen on hard times, who never had a chance, the afflicted, those who pitch in to help, those who struggle, the children whose future is in our hands. All of us, our history tells us, are created equal. All of us are Americans.
It's easy to forget how world-shaking the ideas of 1776 were, how revolutionary. They gave the lie to the notion that some, by birth, blood or connections, were superior, deserved more, or were to be treated differently by the law. They shined a beam of light into a dark world where potentates had long ruled by force. The residue of superstition and hatred, of privilege and corruption, is not easily erased. But the American Revolution established principles that go beyond the prejudices and limitations of those alive at the time of the founding — or at any time.
The story of Benedict Arnold is both inspirational and cautionary — history for adults. His willingness to endure hardships and to risk his life for a cause points toward his exceptional devotion to the ideals he initially embraced. His treason is a reminder that people can be fickle and deceitful, and that the world is a dangerous place.
It may be true that today our democracy is at risk, that we face unique threats from without and from within. The fact is, democracy has always been at risk. The Revolution has never been completed. The struggle against injustice and cynicism is endless. We cannot sleepwalk into the future. Democracy requires us to make hard decisions, to stand against demagogues, to turn away from those who would define America as something small or whose patriotism is empty rhetoric.
In a final plea before the nation was torn asunder, Abraham Lincoln spoke of “the mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart.” The battlefields were Bunker Hill, Valcour Island, and Saratoga. The dead patriots were those who fought and sacrificed to create a nation.
We are fast approaching the 250th anniversary of the momentous events of the 1770s. I hope that for some the story of Benedict Arnold will be the beginning of a deeper exploration of the founding of our nation, one of the most interesting tales in all of history. And perhaps with renewed memories we will recognize the profound value of the American experiment and newly appreciate the fellow citizens with whom we share the bountiful gifts of our enduring Revolution.
Thanks for your support. Keep the faith.
— Jack Kelly
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Another enjoyable read Jack. Thank you
Oh Jack, your statement brings such an enormous, deep, and sad sigh. Like others, I am finding it hard to keep the faith right now. It seems like every step forward is followed by a new development that sends us back. Where will AI take us? Forward???