Peleg Arnold graduated from Brown University and established himself as a prominent figure in Rhode Island's military and civic life during the Revolutionary War. He served as colonel of the 2nd regiment of the Providence County Militia and proposed the enlistment of blacks in the Continental Army using a bounty and freedom. Arnold founded the Providence Society for the Abolition of Slavery and the Smithfield Union Bank, serving as its first President. He held various judicial positions, including chief justice of Rhode Island's Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize and General Gaol Delivery, later renamed The Supreme Judicial Court. Arnold also became president of the Smithfield Academy, a local preparatory school.

Peleg Arnold's political identity is marked by an intriguing blend of progressive abolitionism and economic pragmatism. His proposal during the Revolutionary War to enlist blacks in the Continental Army using bounty and freedom reveals a forward-thinking approach to social justice. Arnold's establishment of the Providence Society for the Abolition of Slavery and the Smithfield Union Bank further underscores a commitment to both moral and economic reform. His long tenure in various judicial and legislative roles indicates a deeply rooted engagement with governance, yet his ideological agility is evident in his shifting political affiliations and policy stances.