Episode 26: This Double-Crossing General Deceived America and Walked Away

Historium Unearthia: Unearthing History's Lost and Untold Stories

After the Revolutionary War, at a pivotal moment when Washington and Spain were fighting for control of North America, one American war hero deflected from honor and signed a secret allegiance with Spain. President Theodore Roosevelt said, "In all our history, there is no more despicable character.” Have you ever heard of James Wilkinson?

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Credit:

A huge thanks to New York Times bestselling author, Andra Watkins, whose new book I Am Number 13 pairs international aid volunteer Emmaline Cagney with the unsettled ghost of James Wilkinson—the former American general who’s stuck in an in-between world called Nowhere. I’m also grateful for the scholarly insight of James Lewis, a professor of history at Kalamazoo College.

Sources:

An Artist in Treason: The Extraordinary Double Life of General James Wilkinson; Linklater, Andro; Walker Books; September 8, 2010.

Spaniards, Scoundrels, and Statesmen: General James Wilkinson and the Spanish Conspiracy, 1787-1790; Savage, James E; Hanover College; Retrieved November 2018.

James Wilkinson: America's Greatest Scoundrel; Jewett, Tom; Varsity Tutors; Retrieved November 2018.

Tarnished Warrior: Major-General James Wilkinson; Jacobs, James Ripley; Literary Licensing; May 26, 2012.

James Wilkinson; Encyclopedia.com; Retrieved November 2018.