Holding the Line for Liberty
In July 1776, delegates to Congress formally declared independence from Great Britain, but the Declaration was still just words on paper. It required the Continental Army to make it a reality.
At Ticonderoga, Continental soldiers retreating from a failed invasion of Canada regrouped and prepared to make a stand. Numbering nearly 13,000, this force rivaled some of the largest cities in the colonies.
Victory wasn’t certain. With the new nation’s existence on the line, American forces were sick, undersupplied, and overstretched. The army had to rebuild itself into a competent force in just months. They sweated to build, and rebuild, miles of fortifications, reshaping the landscape in words and deeds. The point across Lake Champlain was renamed Mount Independence and the “French Lines” of 1758 became Liberty Hill.
The stakes couldn’t have been higher. Washington’s main army was defeated, retreating all the way to the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River. The only American force remaining to face the British was the Northern Army at Ticonderoga. After defeating Benedict Arnold’s lake fleet at Valcour Island, the British captured Crown Point and prepared for the final push. What they found was an American force motivated, prepared, and arrayed along bristling fortifications. Their stand here saved independence.
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Featured Events
As part of our multi-year REAL TIME REVOLUTION® (2024-2027), three exciting events will immerse you in the monumental struggle to defend independence at Ticonderoga, 250 years ago:
Fleet & Fortification: The Science of Defense, August 29-30, will immerse visitors in the simultaneous work of outfitting the fleet on Lake Champlain and digging in atop Liberty Hill.
Bundle a fascine and stitch a sail as you learn hands-on the urgent tasks of liberty. See the latest research come to life in “Lodging as the Nature of the Campaign will Admit,” September 19-20, as we raise soldiers’ huts in our recreated Liberty Hill Encampment. Stand on the ground where the Revolution was won in its first year of independence.
Events crescendo into the triumph of Hold the Line for Liberty, October 24-25, as a determined Continental Army dares the British to attack them at Ticonderoga.
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Special 250th Conference
Arnold’s Defeat or Ultimate Victory? Perspectives on the 1776 Campaign
October 9-11, 2026 (In-person and Virtual)
Who deserves credit for saving independence in 1776? Benedict Arnold and his lake fleet? Horatio Gates and the defenses of Ticonderoga and Mount Independence? On the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Valcour Island, a distinguished panel of scholars will share new research and debate the critical actions of the 1776 campaign on Lake Champlain.
Join us for special programs throughout the conference weekend, including walking tours, the opportunity to row a reproduction 18th-century bateau, a behind-the-scenes look at Fort Ticonderoga’s collection, and an exclusive Sunday cruise to Crown Point aboard the Carillon.
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What Was Liberty Hill?
Located on the heights of Carillon just west of Fort Ticonderoga, Liberty Hill is among the most archaeologically significant Revolutionary-era landscapes in the United States. The site of the dramatic Battle of Carillon on July 8, 1758, it was put back into service in 1776. Renamed Liberty Hill by Continental soldiers as they prepared for another British onslaught, strengthening the American lines as history was rewritten at Ticonderoga.
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Archaeology at Liberty Hill
Largely undisturbed for centuries, Fort Ticonderoga recently brought together more than 45 archaeologists, students, and museum professionals from across the country for the most comprehensive professional archaeological fieldwork ever conducted at Liberty Hill. Hundreds of artifacts were recovered, substantially advancing scholarly understanding of this remarkable landscape and the soldiers who once occupied it.
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Explore Liberty Hill Today
NEW Interpretive Experience: Fort Ticonderoga is opening the new Liberty Hill Encampment, to further tell the epic story of the fight for independence. With support from Americana Corner, visitors can watch in real time as we raise this 1776 encampment. Set along our Carillon Battlefield Trail, the Liberty Hill Encampment replicates the fortifications and lodging of the Pennsylvania Continentals who called it home in 1776. Beginning in July 2026, experience the transition from a tent camp to a fortified city. Peek into soldiers huts, talk to carpenters at work, and learn what it took to house thousands of Continental soldiers across Liberty Hill.
Tour Liberty Hill: You can also experience the history Liberty Hill by joining curator Dr. Matthew Keagle for a Guided tour of Liberty Hill. Walk the actual ground as you explore the most intact Revolutionary War earthworks in North America with our expert staff during this special tour in 2026.
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Educators
Bring the stories of 1776 into the classroom! Fort Ticonderoga’s classroom outreach inspires students as they explore the founding of the United States. Using reproduction clothing and equipment, our skilled educators illustrate the events, famous figures, and everyday people who shaped our history.
On November 14, 2026, join us for a free virtual institute for educators as we explore for the 250th anniversary of the crucial year 1776 on Lake Champlain, as the Continental Army faced a British invasion from Quebec.
Want to make history come alive for your students and need tools you can trust? The Ticonderoga Institute’s classroom-ready materials are just a click away. Registration is free and gives you instant access to a growing library of downloadable content.
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Lifelong Learners
Take a deep dive into the events of the 1776 campaign with an annual subscription to the Ticonderoga Institute. Gain exclusive access to The Bulletin of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum (1927-present), in addition to dozens of expert-led presentations where scholars, authors, and museum professionals bring the history of the 1776 Campaign to life. Featured content for the 1776 campaign includes examinations of a surviving gunboat from the Battle of Valcour Island, the first Native American battles in the American War of Independence, and a discussion of just how much of a debt America owes to its most infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold.
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1776 on YouTube
Can’t make it to every event? Follow the 1776 campaign as it unfolds on Fort Ticonderoga’s YouTube channel. From object spotlights and curator-led discussions to behind-the-scenes looks at our REAL TIME REVOLUTION® programs, our growing library of videos brings the story of 1776 to life wherever you are. Day by day, week by week, discover the soldiers, the struggles, and the dramatic events that saved independence. Subscribe today and never miss a moment of the Revolution.
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1776 in the Archives
History textbooks make the American Revolution feel like an inevitable victory. It was not. By diving directly into the private letters and military orders preserved in Fort Ticonderoga’s archives, we are tracing the timeline of 1776 day by day, and month by month so you can experience the events as they unfolded.
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1776 Essentials
Shop the Revolution
Celebrate the legacy of 1776 by exploring our Museum Store’s exclusive selection of merchandise. Your purchase supports Fort Ticonderoga’s mission to to preserve, educate, and provoke discussion about America’s military heritage for present and future generations.
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Media Inquiries
For all media inquiries, including accessing press releases and b-roll, please contact us directly.