It’s a familiar piece of American earth, and a fixture in our nation’s history. A visitor to West Point sees sweeping Hudson River vistas, stately academic halls, well-groomed athletic fields, and even better groomed students.
West Point is known the world over — the nation’s preeminent educational institution for patriotic young men and women who wish to serve their country and receive a stellar academic diploma.
But why was it here, in this sparsely populated and mountainous stretch of the Hudson River, that a cluster of colonies fighting to become a new nation sunk in its roots and decided to establish its most vital fortress? Why was this stretch of granite cliffs the place the commander in chief, George Washington, dubbed “the key to the continent?”
This was precisely the question I asked when I set out to write my novel, The Traitor’s Wife, which tells the story of Benedict Arnold, his wife, and their ignominious attempt to sell the fort at West Point to the British during the Revolutionary War. (CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE FROM THE HUFFINGTON POST)
