Before becoming America's most notorious traitor, Benedict Arnold was just your average wealthy merchant with anger management issues. When British trade laws threatened his profits, did he adapt? Nah - he just started smuggling untaxed rum and publicly whipped a guy who tried to snitch. His short fuse was legendary: once, he got called out by a British captain for failing to RSVP to a party. Rather than taking the L, he challenged him to a duel, pistols at dawn style.

After leading American forces in several battles, he got passed over for promotion and his ego couldn't take it. In 1780, Arnold hatched a plan to surrender West Point fortress to the British for £20,000 (about $4 million today). The plan failed, but his name became synonymous with betrayal.