Peggy Shippen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peggy Shippen
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Shippen, c. 1783-89
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| Born |
Margaret Shippen
July 11, 1760 |
| Died | August 24, 1804 (aged 44) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 7 |
| Parent(s) | Edward Shippen IV Margaret Francis |
Margaret "Peggy" Shippen (born July 11, 1760 – died August 24, 1804) was an important figure during the American Revolution. She was the second wife of General Benedict Arnold. Some historians believe she was the highest-paid spy of the war.
Peggy Shippen grew up in a well-known family in Philadelphia. Her family had sympathies for the British side during the war. She met Benedict Arnold when he was the military leader of Philadelphia after the British left in 1778. They married on April 8, 1779. Soon after, Arnold started secretly working with the British.
Peggy played a part in this secret plan. The plan was discovered when British Major John André was caught in September 1780. He had papers about Arnold's plan to surrender the important Continental Army base at West Point. Arnold escaped to New York City, and Peggy followed him.
They moved to London in late 1781. Peggy made a home there, and Arnold started a business. After Arnold died in 1801, Peggy had to manage his business and pay off his debts. She died in 1804. She had five children who lived past infancy.
Contents
Early Life in Philadelphia
Margaret Shippen was born on July 11, 1760, in Philadelphia. She was the youngest of four daughters of Edward Shippen IV and Margaret Francis. Her nickname was "Peggy." Her family was very important in Philadelphia. It included two Philadelphia mayors and the founder of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.
Her father, Edward Shippen, was a judge. He was also a member of Pennsylvania's Provincial Council. The Shippen family had different political views. Her father was seen as either neutral or secretly loyal to the British king. Peggy was the youngest child and was much loved by her family.
As a young woman, Peggy enjoyed music, needlework, and drawing. She also liked to study politics. She looked up to her father. He taught her about politics, money, and the reasons for the American Revolution.
Meeting Benedict Arnold
The British army took control of Philadelphia in September 1777. The Shippen family held social gatherings at their home. These parties fit their social standing and political interests. A frequent guest was John André, an officer in General William Howe's army. He paid special attention to Peggy.
The British left Philadelphia in June 1778 after France joined the war. André left with his troops, but he and Peggy stayed in touch. In late 1778, Peggy met Benedict Arnold. He was the Continental Army's military leader in Philadelphia. Arnold began to try and win her over, even though he and Judge Shippen had differences.
Soon after, Arnold asked Peggy's father for her hand in marriage. Judge Shippen was unsure about Arnold because Arnold had some legal troubles. In 1779, Arnold faced accusations about his use of government money. He was found guilty of two minor issues. Despite this, Edward Shippen finally allowed Arnold and Peggy to marry. They were married on April 8, 1779.
Arnold bought a large house called Mount Pleasant on March 22, 1779. He gave the property to Peggy and any future children. However, the couple did not live there. They rented it out to earn money. They spent their honeymoon at family homes in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Then they returned to Philadelphia. They lived at Arnold's military headquarters.
Peggy's Role in the Spy Plot
After her wedding, Peggy may have contacted her "dear friend" John André. André had become General Henry Clinton's spy leader. Peggy and Arnold also had close friends who supported the British. Some historians believe Peggy Shippen started the secret messages between Arnold and André. They think she sent military secrets to the British even before she was married.
Arnold hired Joseph Stansbury to begin talking with the British in May 1779. Arnold offered his help to the British soon after he married Peggy. General Clinton told Major André to explore this offer. Secret messages then began between André and Arnold. Peggy sometimes helped send these messages. Letters written by her also included coded messages written by Benedict Arnold in invisible ink.
General Arnold was angry about how he was treated in Philadelphia. He left his command there in March 1779. Because of his secret talks with the British, he asked for and received command of West Point. West Point was a very important American defense post on the Hudson River. Peggy and their baby son, Edward Shippen Arnold, joined him there. Their home was two miles south of West Point. General Arnold secretly weakened West Point's defenses. He wanted to make it easier for the British to capture.
On Thursday, September 21, 1780, General Arnold met with André by the Hudson River. Arnold gave him documents and maps about West Point's defenses. He expected the British to capture the fort soon. On Saturday, September 23, André was caught while riding towards British territory. The documents were found, and the secret plot was revealed.
On Monday, September 25, Arnold received a note saying André had been captured. The note also said André had the secret papers and maps. That same morning, General George Washington was planning to meet Arnold at his home. Arnold quickly went upstairs to Peggy. Then he fled, eventually reaching a British ship on the Hudson River.
Peggy Shippen Arnold was getting ready to host breakfast for Washington and his group. She may have had a quick talk with her husband. She then pretended to be very upset and confused. She wanted to make General Washington and his staff believe she knew nothing about her husband's betrayal. The time she spent pretending may have given Arnold enough time to escape. Peggy was left with their baby son.
Fearing for her safety, she traveled to Philadelphia to stay with her family. She also acted innocent when asked about her husband, even though she knew where he was. Philadelphia authorities soon found a letter from André to Peggy. It was written from British-occupied New York. This letter was seen as proof that Arnold's wife was involved in the treason. Because of this, the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania told her to leave Philadelphia. In November 1780, her father took Peggy and her baby son to the Hudson River. She boarded a boat to New York City to join Arnold.
After a military trial, Major André was sentenced to death as a spy. He was executed at Tappan, New York. Later, his body was moved and buried in London's Westminster Abbey.
Life After the Revolution
The fighting in North America seemed to be ending after Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown in October 1781. The Arnolds left for London on December 15, 1781. Their second child, James Robertson, born in August, traveled with them. They arrived in London on January 22, 1782.
Peggy was first welcomed warmly in England, as was her husband. She was presented to the queen on February 10, 1782. Queen Charlotte gave her an annual payment of 100 pound sterling to help care for her children. This included children not yet born. King George III also gave her £350 for her helpful services. A girl (Margaret) and a boy (George) were born in 1783 and 1784. They died as babies while the Arnolds lived in London.
Arnold left for a business chance in 1784. He sent for his three sons from his first marriage to join him in Saint John, New Brunswick. During Arnold's time in New Brunswick, Peggy Shippen Arnold gave birth to their third child who survived, Sophia Matilda Arnold. Peggy sailed to Saint John to join her husband in 1787. She left her two older sons with a family in London. In New Brunswick, Peggy gave birth to another son, George, in 1787. Their last child, William Fitch, was born in 1794 after they returned to London.
In 1789, Peggy briefly returned to Philadelphia. She was with her baby son George and a maid. She visited her parents and family. People in Philadelphia treated her coldly, even with her father's influence. Peggy sailed back to New Brunswick with young George in the spring of 1790. From there, she returned to England with Arnold in late December 1791. Their departure was not happy. Crowds gathered at their home to protest against them, calling them "traitors."
After Arnold died in 1801, Peggy sold the contents of their home. She also sold the home itself and many of her personal items. She did this to pay off his debts. She died in London in 1804, possibly from cancer. She was buried with her husband at St. Mary's Church in Battersea on August 25, 1804.
Peggy's Role in the Conspiracy
Historians generally agree that Peggy was involved in the spy plot. She even accepted a reward from the king for her help. Her family in Philadelphia, however, denied everything.
A writer named James Parton wrote about Aaron Burr in the 1800s. He suggested that Peggy Shippen Arnold had convinced Benedict to switch sides. This idea came from talks Burr had with Theodosia Prevost. While traveling from West Point to Philadelphia in 1780, Peggy Shippen Arnold visited Prevost. According to Parton, Peggy told Prevost that she "was heartily tired of all the theatricals she was exhibiting." This referred to her acting upset at West Point. Burr's notes suggest Peggy "was disgusted with the American cause." They also say that "through unceasing perseverance, she had ultimately brought the general into an arrangement to surrender West Point."
When these claims were first published, the Shippen family said Burr was behaving improperly. They claimed Burr rode with Peggy Shippen Arnold in her carriage to Philadelphia. They said he made up the story because she refused his advances during the ride. Arnold's biographer, Willard Sterne Randall, thinks Burr's version sounds more real. First, Burr waited until everyone involved had died before publishing it. Second, Burr was not in the carriage on the ride to Philadelphia. Randall also points out that much more evidence has since been found. This evidence shows that Peggy Shippen Arnold played an active part in the conspiracy. British documents from 1792 show that Mrs. Arnold was paid £350 for handling secret messages.
Family Life
Peggy Shippen had seven children with Benedict Arnold. Five of them lived to adulthood:
- Edward Shippen Arnold (born March 19, 1780 – died December 13, 1813) He was a Lieutenant in the British Army in India. He died in India and did not marry or have children.
- James Robertson Arnold (born August 28, 1781 – died December 27, 1854) He became a Lieutenant General in the Royal Engineers. He died in London, England. He married Virginia Goodrich but had no children.
- Sophia Matilda Arnold (born July 28, 1785 – died June 10, 1828) She died in Sudbury, England. She married Colonel Pownall Phipps in India. They had two sons and three daughters.
- George Arnold (born September 5, 1787 – died November 1, 1828) He was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the 2nd Bengal Cavalry. He died in Bengal, India. He married Ann Martin Brown and had one son.
- William Fitch Arnold (born June 25, 1794 – died November 17, 1846) He was a Captain in the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers. He died in Buckinghamshire, England. He married Elizabeth Cecilia Ruddach and had four daughters and two sons.
Images for kids
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Shippen, circa 1783-89
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Chief Justice Edward Shippen of Pennsylvania, painted by Gilbert Stuart
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Benedict Arnold
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Image of a coded letter: Peggy Shippen Arnold's handwriting is interspersed with coded writing in Benedict Arnold's hand; Arnold's writing would have been in invisible ink.
