Episode 225: Elaine Forman Crane, The Poison Plot: Adultery & Murder In Colonial Newport

by Emily SneffFebruary 12, 2019

Play episode

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.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Ben Franklin’s World is a production of the Omohundro Institute.

Episode Summary

Elaine Forman Crane, a Distinguished Professor of History at Fordham University, takes us through the divorce proceedings of Benedict and Mary Ward Arnold with details from her book, The Poison Plot: A Tale of Adultery and Murder in Colonial Newport.

As we investigate this story, Elaine reveals what we know about Benedict and Mary Ward Arnold and the circumstances of their marriage; Why and how Mary may have attempted to poison Benedict; And what the story of Mary Ward and Benedict Arnold reveals about early American history.

What You’ll Discover

Mary Ward and Benedict Arnold of Newport, Rhode Island
The genre of microhistory
What to do when multiple people share the same name in the historical record
The marriage of Mary Ward to Benedict Arnold
The wealth of Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold’s divorce petition
The supposed poison plot conducted by Mary Ward Arnold
Mary’s desire for an extramarital relationship
Divorce in British North America
Women’s ability to seek legal redress in colonial courts
How historians trace the lives of women
Murder and crime rates in early America
Poison
Early American law enforcement
The circulation of literature about adultery
The records of Benedict Arnold’s divorce proceedings
What the story of Mary and Benedict Arnold reveals about early American history
Conducting genealogical research to make connections

Links to People, Places, and Publications

Sponsor Links

Complementary Episodes

Time Warp Question

Now we can’t know for certain whether Mary actually attempted to poison Benedict, but assuming that she did attempt to poison him, in your opinion, how would Mary’s life have been different if she had been successful and Benedict had died before their divorce?