In 1738, a cooper named Benedict Arnold petitioned the Rhode Island General Assembly for a divorce from his wife Mary Ward Arnold. Benedict claimed that Mary had taken a lover and together they had attempted to murder him with poison.

How did this story of love, divorce, and attempted murder unfold? What does it reveal about the larger world of colonial America and the experiences of colonial American men and women?

Elaine Forman Crane, a Distinguished Professor of History at Fordham University, takes us through the Arnolds’ story with details from her book, The Poison Plot: A Tale of Adultery and Murder in Colonial Newport.

Elaine's Webpage | Book Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/225 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 Episode 110: How Genealogists Research 🎧 Episode 114: The History of Genealogy 🎧 Episode 118: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island 🎧 Episode 157: The Revolution's African American Soldiers 🎧 Episode 208: Nathaniel Philbrick, Turning Points of the American Revolution 🎧 Episode 373: Adrian Weimer, The Gaspee Affair REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 Topic Request Form 📫 liz@benfranklinsworld.com WHEN YOU'RE READY 🗞️ BFW Gazette Newsletter 👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener Community LISTEN 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts 💚 Spotify 🎶 Amazon Music 🛜 Pandora CONNECT 🦋 Liz on Bluesky 👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn 🛜 Liz’s Website SPONSORS 💼 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a rating on Spotify

BFW Revisited: The Poison Plot: Adultery & Murder in Colonial Newport 47:22 Share

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BFW Revisited: The Poison Plot: Adultery & Murder in Colonial Newport