Fort Ticonderoga (Ticonderoga, New York)
Ticonderoga · New York · French and Indian War, American Revolutionary War
History & Significance
Fort Ticonderoga, originally called Fort Carillon, was built by the French at the narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain during the North American phase of the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War). The fort controlled a river portage alongside the La Chute River between Lake Champlain and Lake George, positioned strategically for trade routes between the British-controlled Hudson River Valley and the French-controlled Saint Lawrence River Valley.
The 1758 Battle of Fort Ticonderoga saw British forces led by General James Abercrombie attacked by French troops under General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, resulting in heavy British casualties (550 killed, 1,355 wounded) while French losses were considerably lower at 106 dead and 266 wounded. In 1759, a British force of more than 11,000 men under General Sir Jeffery Amherst captured the fort after the French withdrew and destroyed the powder magazine.
During the American Revolutionary War, the fort was captured on May 10, 1775, by Green Mountain Boys under Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold; its cannons were later transported to Boston by Colonel Henry Knox and used to fortify Dorchester Heights, compelling the British evacuation of the city in March 1776. The fort remained in American hands until the Saratoga Campaign of 1777, when General John Burgoyne's British forces recaptured it, though the American garrison abandoned it without a fight on July 5, 1777.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 18th-century star fort with original bastions and fortification architecture
- Lake Champlain waterfront setting controlling historic trade routes
- French and Indian War and Revolutionary War battle history
- Museum exhibits on colonial military campaigns and cannon technology
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ticonderoga
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/fort-ticonderoga-1775
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/french-indian-war/battles/ticonderoga-1759
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ticonderoga_(1759)
- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fort-ticonderoga
- https://fortticonderoga.org/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Mountain_Boys
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Fort_Ticonderoga
- https://www.bsces.org/news/historic-new-england-infrastructure-fort-ticonderoga/