Fort Benjamin Hawkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Hawkins Archeological Site
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Fort Hawkins (1938 reconstructed southeastern blockhouse)
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | Macon, Georgia |
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| Built | 1806 |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000410 |
| Added to NRHP | November 23, 1977 |
Fort Hawkins was an important fort built by the United States government between 1806 and 1810. It was used until 1824. The fort was located in what is now Georgia, near the Ocmulgee River. It overlooked the ancient, sacred earthwork mounds of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.
Before the fort was built, a trading settlement and later the city of Macon, Georgia grew in this area. Scottish fur traders were here as early as the 1650s. Fort Hawkins became very important to the Creek Nation, the United States, and the state of Georgia. It played a big role in trade, military defense, and politics.
The original fort had a tall log fence, called a palisade, around a large area of about 1 to 2 acres. Inside, there were buildings for living and working. There were also two strong blockhouses, which are like small forts, at opposite corners. A copy of the southeast blockhouse was built in 1938. This happened after archaeologists found the original spot in 1936. This blockhouse has become a symbol of Macon. The Fort Hawkins Archeological Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special historical place worth protecting.
Archaeologists have continued to explore the site. Between 2005 and 2007, they found signs of a second palisade and large brick buildings. They also found almost 40,000 artifacts. These items show that Native Americans and European Americans had many complex interactions here. Experts are still studying the fort's history and plan to rebuild the entire fort complex one day. They want to show and explain the thousands of artifacts found. These artifacts tell the story of many different Native American tribes and early European settlers who lived and traded here.
Contents
Why Fort Hawkins Was Built
Fort Hawkins was built by the United States in 1806. Until 1824, it was a very important place for trade, military actions, and politics.
A Trading Hub
For the Creek Nation, the fort was a main center for trading deerskins with European Americans. There was a special trading post, or "factory," there. But for the Creek people, the fort was most important because it was close to their sacred lands at Ocmulgee Old Fields. This area was a key social and ceremonial place for them.
Military and Government Use
The U.S. government used Fort Hawkins as a military headquarters. It was a major place for troops and state soldiers to gather before important military actions. It also served as a big trading post to manage the Creek economy.
President Thomas Jefferson had made the Creek Nation give up their lands east of the Ocmulgee River. The only land they kept was their sacred Ocmulgee Old Fields. The fort was built about a mile uphill from the river's "fall line." This was the point where boats could no longer travel up the river. The government wanted to "civilize" the Creek people by teaching them European-American farming and cultural ways.
The Federal Road
North of the fort, the Lower Creek Pathway became part of the Federal Road. This road connected the nation's capital to the important port cities of Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. This new road brought many more soldiers, settlers, and visitors to the area. This caused problems and took away more land from the Creek Nation.
Named for Benjamin Hawkins
The fort was named after Benjamin Hawkins. He was the General Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the U.S. government from 1796 to 1816. He was also the main U.S. Indian agent for the Creek people. Hawkins had been a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. President George Washington chose him to work with the Choctaw, Cherokee, and Chickasaw tribes. Hawkins helped keep peace between the Creek and European-American settlers for many years.
Fort Hawkins in Wars
The fort was used during the War of 1812 against Great Britain. General Andrew Jackson visited Fort Hawkins and used it as a base for the Battle of New Orleans in 1814-15. It was also used during the Creek and Seminole wars.
After these wars, the frontier moved further west. The military threat in Georgia ended. Through treaties signed in 1825 and 1826, the Creek people were forced to move west of the Chattahoochee River the next year. The city of Macon was started in 1823. By 1828, the fort was owned by private citizens.
During its active years, Fort Benjamin Hawkins was a headquarters for the Georgia Militia. It was a place where the U.S. Army, the Creek Nation, and the Georgia government all met and interacted. The fort helped protect Georgia's western border until the state gained control by moving the Creek people west. Then, many European-American settlers moved into the area.
Many Cultures Met Here
Ancient Native American cultures had lived near the river for a very long time. Evidence shows that people have lived at Ocmulgee National Monument for 17,000 years.
At Fort Hawkins, many different groups of people came together. These included Native American peoples from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole nations. There were also European Americans from England, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, and Spain. And there were people of West African descent, who spoke many different languages. Almost 40,000 artifacts from trading and daily life have been found in recent archaeological digs at the fort site.
Discovering the Past at Fort Hawkins
People have worked hard to preserve and understand Fort Hawkins.
Rebuilding the Blockhouse
Starting in 1928, groups like the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Macon Kiwanis Club raised money to build a copy of one of the blockhouses. In 1933, the government started archaeological digs at the Ocmulgee Old Fields. This was part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. In 1936, an archaeologist named Gordon R. Willey found the exact spot of the original southeast blockhouse at Fort Hawkins. The replica blockhouse was finished as a WPA project in 1938. Some of the original stones were used in the basement. The upper parts were made of concrete shaped to look like wood. This was done to make it last longer.
Archaeological Finds
Many historical records were lost when Washington, D.C., was burned during the War of 1812. So, in 1971, the city allowed some archaeological digging to find the fort's original size. These digs found many ceramic pieces, including parts of English-American dishes used by people living there from about 1779 to 1834. In 1977, the Fort Hawkins archeological site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The City of Macon bought the historic site in 2002. They plan to use the fort site as a park and a history center. The southeast blockhouse is sometimes open to the public and is a symbol of the city.
Archaeologists were worried that building the Fort Hawkins Grammar School and a road in the mid-20th century might have destroyed historical evidence. But since 2005, digs have shown that many artifacts and layers of soil (called stratigraphy) have survived. These can still tell us a lot about the past.
New Discoveries
From 2005 to 2007, archaeologist Daniel T. Elliott led a team in big digs at the fort site. They found evidence that two forts were built there. The final fort had several brick buildings and only one made of wood. This means it was a much stronger complex than people first thought. In 2007, more palisades were found. Research suggests that the outer area was likely built between 1809 and 1810 by the U.S. Army.
The groups involved have created a public website about the fort and the archaeological work. They also give public talks to teach more people about the fort. They explain its role as a military and trade center, and how it brought different people and cultures together.
The nearly 40,000 artifacts from the fort's active years (1806–1821) give us a look into the lives of the different groups of people who met on the American frontier. This evidence shows that the fort had a more complex and important history than was known before. The Fort Hawkins Commission made a plan in 2008 to rebuild the entire 1.4-acre complex.
Digs in October 2011 focused on the outer western and southern walls of the fort. In May 2012, archaeologists looked for parts of the northwestern blockhouse. Erosion has made it hard to find, but they found clues that it was there.
Recognition
- 1977: The Fort Hawkins Archeological Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
- 1993: Fort Hawkins is included in the Fort Hill Historic District, which is also on the NRHP.
- 2002: A State Highway Marker was put up at the fort.
- 2007: Fort Hawkins was featured in Georgia's Archaeology Month program, with a special celebration at the fort.
Images for kids
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Fort Hawkins around 1876
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Entrance sign to Fort Hawkins
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Upper level of the fort blockhouse
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Middle level of the fort blockhouse
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Bust of Benjamin Hawkins
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A spinning wheel, like those used in the past
