Battle Brief - American Scoundrel: General James Wilkinson and the Early Republic

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Independence National Historical Park Collection in Philadelphia, PA.

James Wilkinson by Charles Willson Peale

Maryland-born General James Wilkinson was an experienced Revolutionary War officer who saw action at Montreal, Trenton, and Saratoga. Later, he served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army in the 1790s and early 1800s and as a field commander in the War of 1812. He was also a paid spy in the service of Spain, sold military secrets to America’s enemies, and engaged in conspiracies along the Mississippi River. Theodore Roosevelt wrote that “in all our history, there is no more despicable character.” Learn from historian John Maass how this soldier, with many years of active service, betrayed his country for land and money.

Dr. John R. Maass is an education specialist and historian at the National Museum of the United States Army. He received a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in early U.S. history and military history. He is the author of “George Washington’s Virginia” (2017) and “From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War” (2025).