Fort Stanwix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fort Stanwix National Monument | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
 |
|
| Location | 112 E. Park St., Rome, NY |
| Area | 16 acres (6.4 ha) |
| Established | August 21, 1935 |
| Total visitation | 84,933 (in 2002) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Fort Stanwix | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
  |
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Built/Founded: | 1758 |
| Designated as NHL: | November 23, 1962 [1] |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966 [2] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000057 |
Fort Stanwix was a colonial fort erected in 1758 by British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York. The fort guarded a portage known as the Oneida Carrying Place during the French and Indian War. A reconstructed fort has been built at the site by the National Park Service, and the Fort Stanwix National Monument lies in the center of the modern city.
In 1768, Fort Stanwix was the site of an important treaty conference between the British and the Iroquois, arranged by William Johnson. The purpose of the conference was to renegotiate the boundary line between Indian lands and white settlements set forth in the Proclamation of 1763. The British government hoped a new boundary line might bring an end to the rampant frontier violence, which had become costly and troublesome. Indians hoped a new, permanent line might hold back white colonial expansion.
The final treaty was signed on November 5, and extended the earlier proclamation line much further west. The Iroquois had effectively ceded Kentucky to the whites. However, the Indians who actually used the Kentucky lands, primarily Shawnee, Delaware, and Cherokee, had no role in the negotiations. Rather than secure peace, the Fort Stanwix treaty helped set the stage for the next round of hostilities.
Contents |
[edit] Fort Schuyler
Fort Stanwix was abandoned in 1768. It was reoccupied by Colonial troops in the summer of 1776. They began reconstruction of the fort and they renamed it Fort Schulyer, although many continued to call it Fort Stanwix.
On August 3, 1777 the fort was besieged by British forces under the command of Brigadier General Barry St. Leger as part of a three-pronged attack (see Saratoga Campaign) to split American power in New York State. The fort commander, Colonel Peter Gansevoort, refused the terms of surrender offered by the British, and the siege commenced.
The Battle of Oriskany was fought when an American relief column, commanded by General Nicholas Herkimer, was ambushed by Tories and their Indian allies. While many of the besiegers were attending to that battle, the defenders of the fort sallied forth and attacked the enemy camp, looting and destroying enemy stores. Demoralized and reduced in strength, the British withdrew when they heard reports of yet another relief column, led by General Benedict Arnold. The British failure to capture the fort and proceed down the Mohawk Valley was a severe setback and helped to led to the defeat of General John Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga. On August 3, 1777 the Stars and Stripes were raised at Fort Stanwix the first time the flag was flown in front of a foe in the U.S. For this reason the fort also was designated a National Historic Landmark, in 1962.[1],[3],[4]
The Fort burned to the ground on May 13, 1781 and was not rebuilt[Footnote 2].
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was conducted at the fort between the Americans and the Indians in 1784.
The Park Service reconstructed the fort between 1974 and 1978.
[edit] See Also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Fort Stanwix. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service (2007-09-13).
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ ["Fort Stanwix", August 1981, by Dwight T. PitcaithleyPDF (286 KB) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination]. National Park Service (1981-08).
- ^ [Fort Stanwix--Accompanying photo, aerial, from 1981.PDF (288 KB) National Register of Historic Places Inventory]. National Park Service (1981-08).
Footnote 2. Casemates and Cannonballs. Archeological Investigations at Fort Stanwix, Rome, New York, by Lee Hanson, Dick Ping Hsu
[edit] External links
Categories: IUCN Category V | National Historic Landmarks of the United States | 1758 establishments | American Revolutionary War forts | American Revolutionary War sites | Forts in New York | National Monuments of the United States | Oneida County, New York | Portages | Registered Historic Places in New York
