Fort Jackson (Wetumpka, Alabama, Alabama)
Wetumpka, Alabama · Alabama · War of 1812 / Creek War
History & Significance
Andrew Jackson arrived at the site in May 1814 with United States Army regulars and militia units from Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee following the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, where the power of the Red Stick faction of the Creeks was broken. The fort was built atop the old French fort site at the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers and was intentionally positioned near the sacred Creek site known as the Hickory Ground.
After Jackson temporarily traveled to Washington, the fort was named Jackson in his honor. The Treaty of Fort Jackson, signed on August 9, 1814, ended the Creek War, with Andrew Jackson serving as the sole representative of the United States and dictating the terms.
Under the treaty terms, the Creek Nation ceded nearly 22 million acres to the United States, which Jackson justified as payment for the expense of the war. Soldiers occupied the post until 1816, and in 1817–1818 efforts began to build a town at the site, which became Fort Jackson Town.
The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960. In the 1980s the Alabama Historical Commission acquired the park and constructed a replica of Fort Toulouse near its original site, allowing for future reconstruction of Fort Jackson.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Reconstructed brick fortifications from 1814 at river confluence
- Living history programs interpreting Creek, French, and American perspectives
- Original location of Fort Toulouse (French colonial fort)
- Site of Treaty of Fort Jackson, defining Creek Nation boundaries
- Museum exhibits on War of 1812 and regional military history
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Toulouse_and_Fort_Jackson
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetumpka,_Alabama
- https://wetumpkaal.gov/407/Fort-Toulouse-Fort-Jackson
- https://fttoulousejackson.org/fortjackson/
- https://fttoulousejackson.org/history/
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/treaty-of-fort-jackson.htm
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/creek-war-1813-1814
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/treaty-of-fort-jackson/
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/fort-toulouse-fort-jackson-national-historic-park/
- https://ahc.alabama.gov/properties/fttoulouse/fttoulouse.aspx