Before joining the growing American army, Benedict Arnold was a successful merchant and smuggler

Before joining the growing American army, Benedict Arnold was a successful merchant and smuggler. With the support of the Lathrops, Arnold established himself as a pharmacy and bookseller in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1762. He worked hard and was successful, and he was able to rapidly develop his firm. In 1763, he redeemed money borrowed from the Lathrops, repurchased the family homestead that his father had sold while he was severely in debt, and resold it a year later for a large profit. He started a business with Adam Babcock, another young New Haven trader, in 1764. Using the proceeds from the sale of his farmhouse, they purchased three trading ships and developed a thriving West Indies trade.

In the course of his business, he traveled widely throughout New England and from Quebec to the West Indies, often in command of one of his own ships. The Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765 significantly reduced mercantile trade in the colonies. The Stamp Act motivated Arnold to join the chorus of voices in protest, as well as to join the Sons of Liberty, a secret group that supported opposition to the Stamp Act and other restrictive Parliamentary policies. Arnold did not participate in any public rallies at first, but like many merchants, he continued to do business openly in contravention of the Parliamentary Acts, which amounted to smuggling.