You know you’ve truly become a historical villain when your very name becomes a negative epithet. That’s definitely the case for Benedict Arnold – a man whose name has become synonymous with betrayal and treachery. The history of Benedict Arnold is actually far more complex and grey than most people realize, but all of the great things accomplished by the man will forever be overshadowed by the fateful decision he made late in America’s Revolutionary War. By betraying his fellow Revolutionaries to their hated British rivals, Arnold ensured that he’d forever remain a villain in the minds of American history books and guaranteed that the lighter side of his personal story would forever be obscured.