Fort Ticonderoga presents a Virtual Living History Event on February 27, 2021 as part of its Digital Campaign – an exciting virtual experience featuring interactive programming, engaging lectures series, and creative at-home educational activities and resources.
This virtual event will highlight French Regulars and Canadians assembling at Fort Carillon, later named Ticonderoga, preparing to march across frozen Lake George to surprise the British in 1757. During 3 exciting living history demonstrations, watch as French soldiers build scaling ladders and prepare to march and encamp in winter’s deep snow to carry forward this surprise attack.
“Fort Carillon was the assembly and launch point for Native American Warriors, Canadians, and French soldiers,” said Stuart Lilie, Fort Ticonderoga VP of Public History. “Together, in four columns, they snowshoed over the ice of Lake George, with scaling ladders and bombs to catch Fort William Henry by surprise before the campaign season began. Though the raid failed to capture Fort William Henry, the Marquis de Montcalm himself wrote of the raids success, destroying vital boats and supplies before the British could take the field. This raid combined techniques of European siege craft with Native American technology for moving and surviving in the dead of winter. This combination is emblematic of French success in 1757 and Ticonderoga’s story as a whole.”
“Through the Center for Digital History, we are able to continue providing viewers and supporters from across the globe unforgettable experiences,” said Beth L Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President & CEO. “Our commitment to bringing the dramatic and real stories of our past to life through educational programs, such as the 1757 French Raid on Fort William Henry, is an opportunity to share with our visitors the importance of Ticonderoga in the founding of America.”
All programs will be featured on Fort Ticonderoga’s Facebook starting at the listed times:
Native American moccasins were used by Canadians and French soldiers as footwear for winter travel, much like the March 1757 French Raid on Fort William Henry. During this program, see the process for recreating these simple deerskin shoes today and how you can make your own!
1 pm — 60 Leagues on Snowshoes
How did 1500 soldiers, Canadian Milice, and native warriors march from Canada to Fort William-Henry in the winter of 1757? During this program, explore the time-tested techniques of moving and camping along the great warpaths of the north country in deep snow and along frozen lakes.
If you can’t batter a fort wall down…climb over it! During this program, join us as we build a scaling ladder run by rung. See how three-piece scaling ladders were built at Carillon (later named Ticonderoga) in hopes of climbing over the log walls of Fort William Henry using the winter season for a surprise.
As we continue adding to our Digital Campaign, be sure to visit fortticonderoga.org and our social media accounts for more exciting live videos, special programs, lectures series, and educational at-home activities that bring history to life!
About Fort Ticonderoga:
Welcoming visitors since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga preserves North America’s largest 18th-century artillery collection, 2,000 acres of historic landscape on Lake Champlain, and Carillon Battlefield, and the largest series of untouched Revolutionary War era earthworks surviving in America. As a multi-day destination and the premier place to learn more about our nation’s earliest years and America’s military heritage, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors each year with an economic impact of more than $12 million annually and offers programs, historic interpretation, boat cruises, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits throughout the year, and is open for daily visitation May through October. Fort Ticonderoga is supported in part through generous donations and with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Photo: As part of the February 27th virtual event, tune into Fort Ticonderoga’s Facebook at 1pm to see how soldiers, Canadian Milice, and native warriors marched from Canada to Fort William Henry in the winter of 1757.