Fort Stanwix

Fort Stanwix

 

Location: 112 E. Park St. Rome, NY Map

Area: 16 acres (6.5 ha)

Constructed: 1758

 

Description of Fort Stanwix

Fort Stanwix is a historic military stronghold located in Rome, New York in USA. This star shaped Fort Stanwix covers an area of 16 acres (6.5 ha). Fort Stanwix was constructed in 1758- 62 by the British Armies to defend Royal possessions in the New World. The fort defended an old portage used during the Seven Years' War. The fort was not completed until 1762 and was abandoned in 1768. That year, it hosted the signing of an important treaty between the British and the Amerindian Iroquois (Treaty of Fort Stanwix) before being abandoned. This treaty redefined with the Indians the frontier to which European settlers could venture.

 

History

In 1768, Fort Stanwix was the site of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix conference between the British and the Iroquois, arranged by William Johnson. The purpose of the conference was to renegotiate the boundary line between Indians and white settlers proclaimed in the 1763 Royal Proclamation. The British government hoped that a new border line would bring an end to rampant violence in the border areas, which had become costly and worrying. The Indians hoped that a new, permanent frontier would hold back white colonial expansion.

The final treaty was signed on November 5th and extended the previously proclaimed frontier line much farther west. The Iroquois had effectively left Kentucky to the whites. However, the Indians who actually lived in Kentucky, Shawnee, Delaware and Cherokee played no part in the negotiations. Rather than securing peace, the Treaty of Fort Stanwix set the scene for the next acts of war.

Fort Schuyler
During the American Revolutionary War, the abandoned Fort Stanwix was rebuilt by American forces and named Fort Schuyler after Army Major General Philip Schuyler. But after several forts bore this name, it often stayed with Fort Stanwix to distinguish it. In 1777 the fort was attacked by British forces under General Barry St. Leger as part of the three-armed Saratoga campaign to split American forces in New York. The fort commander, Colonel Peter Gansevoort, refused the British terms of surrender and a 21-day siege began.

An American relief column under General Nicholas Herkimer attempting to come to the aid of the besieged fort was ambushed by British troops, Loyalists and Indian allies at the Battle of Oriskany. Because many of the besiegers took part in the battle, the besieged sallied out, attacking the enemy's camp and plundering and destroying their supplies. Demoralized and weakened in numbers, the British retreated to Canada after hearing (false) rumors that more relief troops under General Benedict Arnold were on the way. The fort was the only one in the original 13 states of the United States that the British were never able to capture. The failure of the British to capture the fort and then advance further through the Mohawk Valley was a serious setback and contributed to General John Burgoyne's defeat at the Battle of Saratoga.

In 1781 the fort was abandoned again because of its remote location far from the settlement areas and quickly fell into disrepair. In 1784, the Americans and the six peoples of the Iroquois made a treaty at the ruins of Fort Stanwix. With him, the Indians were recognized as allies of the United States and were largely guaranteed their traditional habitats. For this they dissolved their coalition and ended the guerrilla war against the white settlers southeast of the Appalachia. The claims from the treaty to land and independence were no longer recognized by the state of New York just a few years later. The Oneida, one of the six peoples, have been conducting a process for around 100,000 hectares of traditional land since the early 21st century.

In 1817, the Erie Canal opened, replacing the old waterway and portage at Fort Stanwix.

 

The National Monument today

The site of the former Fort Stanwix was designated a national monument as early as 1935 and was recognized as a national historic landmark in November 1962. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in October 1966.

For the United States Bicentennial celebrations in 1976, the fort was reconstructed at the original site. The areas were acquired from various private owners as part of a large-scale urban renewal program. Some of the construction work was carried out using historical methods. The city of Rome turned to tourism as a new source of income because in 1964 its largest employer, a base of the U.S. Air Force, had been closed.

Today, the fort regularly hosts reenactment events that recreate different eras of the 18th century.