|
I'd like to make a late case for removing Benedict Arnold from the list. And yes, I would do this at a dinner party. He was a very effective leader in the Revolutionary War. The hero of Saratoga. The victory at Saratoga is what convinced the French that the war was winnable, and therefore caused them to come in on our side.
It's conceivable we could have lost the war without Arnold. There is no way that his failed plot to surrender West Point harmed us in any significant way. While he was an effective general, Benedict Arnold was a completely incompetent traitor.
There. I did it. He fails Rule #1.
Also - Arnold's primary beef was frustration with his leadership not recognizing him and promoting him accordingly. He was kind of the "Jay Cutler" of Revolutionary War generals. His anger caused schisms in his allegiance between the colonies and Britain, which legitimately calls into question Rule #4.
|