Arnold Plans at Lake Champlain: “Masters of the Lake”, But for How Long?
250 years ago this week—May 22 and 23, 1775—Benedict Arnold was making plans. After capturing the British sloop Betsey at Fort St. Jean, the Americans were ”masters of the Lake”, but Arnold and his troops had more work to do to maintain their advantage. The American army on Lake Champlain now had both the Betsey […]
Fort Ticonderoga Celebrates National Maritime Day with Historic Boat Building Programs, Narrated Boat Cruises and Student Engagement
Fort Ticonderoga celebrates National Maritime Day, May 22, with a new 2025 historic boat building program and narrated boat tours aboard the Carillon on Lake Champlain. The maritime trades program is available daily Tuesday-Sunday throughout the Campaign Season. The Carillon boat tours will begin by the end of May and run through October. “In the […]
Together Again: Reuniting Benedict Arnold’s and John Steven’s Letters
On this day 250 years ago—May 21, 1775—Benedict Arnold sent a letter from Ticonderoga to Captain John Stevens, commander of the American garrison to the south at Fort George. On May 23, Stevens wrote back. Two hundred fifty years later, these letters have been reunited. The Fort Ticonderoga Museum recently acquired Arnold’s May 21 letter […]
Historic Gift of Spanish Artillery from Yale to Fort Ticonderoga Strengthens Legacy of Preservation and Education Highlighted during National Preservation Month
Fort Ticonderoga is proud to announce the historic gift of four Spanish cannon and two mortars from Yale University Art Gallery, securing these significant pieces in Fort Ticonderoga’s world-renowned artillery collection. The artillery, which has been on long-term loan from Yale since 1943, has been enjoyed by millions of visitors over the past eight decades. […]
“Scheems and Plans”: Skenesborough After the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
250 years ago today—May 16, 1775—Ticonderoga and Crown Point had been in American hands for nearly a week. Farther south, so was Skenesborough, a prosperous settlement founded by career British Army officer Philip Skene. Skene was at sea returning from a visit to England when the Americans captured Skenesborough, but his son, Major Andrew Skene, […]
Rewatch the Livestream of the 250th Anniversary of the First American Victory of the American Revolution: The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Just weeks after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, a small American force led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold launched a surprise attack on Fort Ticonderoga. The British garrison surrendered without a fight. The capture gave the Americans much needed artillery, which were transported to Boston by Henry Knox that winter and used to […]
What’s Next After Taking Ticonderoga? Ethan Allen Plans Ahead
About 250 years ago today—between May 13 and May 15, 1775—Ethan Allen penned another letter to Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull. We recently shared a letter that Allen wrote to Trumbull on May 12 in which he announced the capture of Ticonderoga and made plans to gain naval control over Lake Champlain. In his next letter, […]
Remember the Sacrifices of Fallen American Soldiers at Fort Ticonderoga this Memorial Day Weekend May 24-25, 2025
Discover how the American Army in 1775 defended liberty at this iconic site Fort Ticonderoga will pay tribute to the men and women who lost their lives during the American Revolution. During this REAL TIME REVOLUTION™ event, experience all aspects of the life for American citizen-soldiers in 1775, from their weapons to their rations, and […]
“At Present Commander of Ticondaroga”
On this day 250 years ago—May 12, 1775—Ethan Allen was in command at Fort Ticonderoga, but few people knew it. News of major events could move quickly through the colonies on horseback, but without intentional coordination it often moved slowly, especially in sparsely populated regions like the Champlain Valley. By the time Allen sat down […]
Who’s in Command at Fort Ticonderoga?
On this day 250 years ago—May 10, 1775—a party of soldiers led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured Fort Ticonderoga. The victorious Americans then faced the question of what to do next. The most important question in Arnold’s mind was who the garrison’s commander would be. Connecticut and Massachusetts had both raised expeditions to […]