Fort Stanwix facts for kids
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Fort Stanwix
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Aerial view of the Fort Stanwix reconstruction
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 100 North James St., Rome, New York |
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| Area | 16 acres (6.5 ha) |
| Built | 1758 |
| Visitation | 84,933 (2002) |
| Website | Fort Stanwix National Monument |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000057 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | November 23, 1962 |
| Designated NMON | August 21, 1935 |
Fort Stanwix was an important colonial fort built in what is now Rome, New York. Construction started on August 26, 1758, led by British General John Stanwix. The fort was finished around 1762. This strong bastion fort was built to protect a special path called the Oneida Carry during the French and Indian War.
Today, a rebuilt version of the fort stands on the same spot. It is called Fort Stanwix National Monument. The National Park Service created this reconstruction.
Fort Stanwix is famous for a big event in August 1777. American soldiers successfully defended it during a siege by British troops. The British had built the fort in 1758. It was in a key spot along the water route from Lake Ontario to the Hudson River.
During the American Revolutionary War, American forces took over and rebuilt the fort. Then, a British army from Canada tried to capture it. They hoped to reach the Hudson River. But the British failed to take the fort. This failure helped lead to a major American victory at the Saratoga campaign.
Fort Stanwix was also the place where two important agreements were signed. The 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix was between Britain and Native American tribes. The 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix was between the tribes and the new American government.
Besides the fort itself, the national monument has three short walking trails. One of these trails follows part of the old Oneida Carry. The Marinus Willett Collections Management and Education Center is also part of the monument. It keeps nearly half a million artifacts and documents. It also has exhibits about Fort Stanwix and the Mohawk Valley. This center helps visitors learn about the area.
Contents
History of Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix was built in 1758 to protect a "portage." A portage is a place where boats and goods had to be carried over land between two waterways. This portage was called the Oneida Carry. It connected the main water route to the Atlantic Ocean (down the Mohawk and Hudson rivers) with an important inland water route to Lake Ontario (down Wood Creek and Oneida Lake to Oswego).
The 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix
In 1768, Fort Stanwix was the site of a very important meeting. British officials and Iroquois Native American tribes met there. William Johnson helped arrange this meeting. By this time, the fort was old and not in use.
The main goal of the meeting was to redraw the boundary line. This line separated Native American lands from areas where white settlers lived. The British government hoped a new line would stop the fighting on the frontier. This fighting was costing a lot of money and causing many problems. Native Americans hoped a new, clear line would stop white settlers from expanding onto their lands.
The final agreement was signed on November 5. It moved the boundary much further west than before. The Iroquois tribes gave up control of lands in what is now Kentucky to the white settlers. However, the tribes who actually used the Kentucky lands, like the Shawnee, Delaware, and Cherokee, were not part of these talks. So, instead of bringing peace, the 1768 Fort Stanwix treaty actually helped set the stage for more conflicts later on.
After this treaty, Fort Stanwix was left empty in 1768 and slowly fell apart.
Fort Schuyler and the Battle of Oriskany
American soldiers took over the fort again on July 12, 1776. Colonel Elias Dayton was in charge. They started rebuilding it and renamed it Fort Schuyler. But many people still called it Fort Stanwix. Colonel Peter Gansevoort became the fort's commander on May 3, 1777.
On August 3, 1777, the fort was attacked. British soldiers, American Loyalists, and Native Americans surrounded it. Brigadier General Barry St. Leger led this group. This attack was part of a larger British plan to divide the American colonies. Colonel Gansevoort refused to give up the fort, and the siege began.
There's a story that the American flag was flown in battle for the first time at Fort Stanwix on August 3, 1777. However, it's more likely that the flag flown was an early version with just thirteen stripes. It might have been an early New York state flag or the Grand Union Flag.
The Battle of Oriskany happened a few miles away during the siege. An American group coming to help the fort was ambushed. This group was led by General Nicholas Herkimer. While many of the attackers were busy fighting at Oriskany, the fort's defenders rushed out. They attacked the enemy camp, taking supplies and destroying what was left.
The British attackers lost hope and strength. They left when they heard that another American group was coming. This new group was led by General Benedict Arnold. The British forces went back through Canada. They then joined another British army at Fort Ticonderoga.
The British failed to capture Fort Stanwix and move down the Mohawk Valley. This was a big problem for them. It helped lead to the defeat of General John Burgoyne at the important Battle of Saratoga.
In April 1779, American soldiers from Fort Schuyler went on an expedition. Colonel Goose Van Schaick led them against the Onondaga people.
The fort burned down on May 13, 1781. It was never rebuilt. The soldiers left and moved to Fort Herkimer.
The 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix
The second Treaty of Fort Stanwix took place at the fort in 1784. This agreement was between the Americans and Native American tribes. Later, during the War of 1812, a small blockhouse was built on the fort's old parade ground. Starting in 1828, the old fort's defenses were taken apart.
Fort Stanwix National Monument
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a law to create the national monument on August 21, 1935. At that time, the land for the monument was covered by businesses and homes in downtown Rome. In the 1960s, leaders in Rome wanted the fort rebuilt. They saw it as part of a plan to make downtown Rome better.
Senator Robert F. Kennedy from New York also pushed for the reconstruction. He wanted political support in upstate New York. So, the National Park Service agreed to rebuild the fort from the Revolutionary War era.
The Park Service finished a plan for Fort Stanwix in 1967. In 1970, they started a three-year study of the area's archaeology. Building the fort began in 1974. A partially finished fort opened to the public in 1976 for the United States Bicentennial celebration. The fort you see today was finished in 1978. It is made of reinforced concrete, covered with earth and timber. It surrounds three separate buildings.
From 1976 until the mid-1990s, the monument used actors to show visitors what life was like at the fort right after the siege (1777–78). They focused on life during the American Revolution. More recently, guides explain the fort's history in a different way. They now also cover its role in the French and Indian War and the treaties signed with Native Americans.
A new visitor center was added in 2005. The monument is open all year. The National Park Service operates it.
Images for kids
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Reconstructed drawbridge and curtain wall
See also
In Spanish: Fuerte Stanwix para niños
- List of national monuments of the United States
- Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site
- Sally Ainse, owner of a deed for the land where Fort Stanwix was located
