By the summer of 1777, the American Revolution remained a fragile experiment. George Washington had saved the Continental Army at Trenton and Princeton, (be sure to read about the famous crossing of the Delaware if you missed it: here), but survival alone would not secure independence. The army was still poorly supplied, unevenly trained, and constantly short of men. Enlistments expired. Desertions continued. Victory had proven possible, but the outcome of the war was far from certain.
A Vintage print of George Washington at the Battle of Trenton.
British leaders believed time was on their side. If the colonies could be isolated and divided, the rebellion would collapse under its own weight. Military defeat was only one option. Political exhaustion and geographic separation might accomplish the same goal.
To that end, British commanders devised a sweeping plan to regain control of the Hudson River corridor, the natural spine of the colonies. Control the Hudson, and New England would be cut off from the middle and southern colonies. The heart of the rebellion would be isolated.
The task fell to John Burgoyne, a confident and ambitious British general. Burgoyne would march south from Canada with a large army, supported by artillery, German mercenaries, and Native allies. He expected to meet up with British forces advancing north from New York City. Together, they would crush American resistance in the region.
On paper, the plan appeared decisive.
In reality, it depended on flawless coordination, reliable supply lines, and terrain that proved anything but cooperative.
By the spring of 1776, the rebellion that had begun in the fields of Lexington and Concord finally forced the British out of Boston. For eleven months, the city had been trapped in a slow, grinding standoff known as the Siege of Boston, while George Washington’s newly formed Continental Army surrounded it from the hills beyond.
The turning point came in the dead of winter when Henry Knox, a young bookseller turned artillery officer, accomplished what many believed impossible. He hauled fifty-nine heavy cannons and mortars from Fort Ticonderoga across frozen rivers, mountains, and snow-covered wilderness. When the guns arrived outside Boston, Washington wasted no time.
On the night of March 4, 1776, American troops silently dragged Knox’s cannon up Dorchester Heights, overlooking the city and the British fleet. At dawn, General William Howe looked out and saw the heights bristling with artillery. The position was so strong that an assault would have been catastrophic. On March 17, 1776, the British evacuated Boston.
The Revolution had its first great victory.
But victory did not mean security.
The War Moves to New York
With Boston lost, British commanders shifted their focus. They would take New York City, whose deep harbor and strategic position made it the most important military prize in North America.
By summer, the largest British armada ever assembled filled New York Harbor. Washington rushed his army south, but his forces were untested and inexperienced. The result was disaster.
In August 1776, the Battle of Long Island ended in crushing defeat. Washington’s army barely escaped annihilation, slipping away under cover of darkness and fog. What followed was a long, exhausting retreat across Manhattan and New Jersey.
Men deserted. Supplies vanished. Morale collapsed.
By December, the Continental Army was on the brink of extinction.
A Desperate Gamble
Washington knew he had one last chance.
Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze
Across the icy Delaware River, in the small town of Trenton, a force of Hessian soldiers slept in their winter quarters. Washington decided to strike on Christmas night.
Snow fell. The wind howled. Ice floes smashed against the boats as soldiers ferried cannon, horses, and men across the freezing river. Many marched barefoot, leaving blood on the snow. Muskets jammed. Powder grew wet. Some men collapsed before they reached the far shore.
Still, they marched.
In the early hours of December 26, 1776, Washington’s army descended on Trenton. The attack was swift and overwhelming. In less than an hour, nearly the entire Hessian garrison was captured.
It was not a major victory in size. It was a victory in belief.
A week later, Washington struck again at Princeton, forcing the British to retreat from much of New Jersey. The Revolution was alive.
Why This Moment Changed Everything
The evacuation of Boston proved the British could be beaten. The crossing of the Delaware proved the Americans would not surrender.
From the frozen trails of Henry Knox to the storm-tossed river at Trenton, the Revolution became something larger than rebellion. It became a test of endurance, sacrifice, and faith in an idea that had never before existed.
The war would grow darker still before it reached the light of independence. But on that frozen Christmas night, the American cause was saved.
Travel Guide
I sadly admit that I have not visited the New York City and New Jersey Revolutionary Sites and Museums, but I’d love to! Here’s my recommendations:
Fraunces Tavern Museum in Lower Manhattan
A must-visit for Revolutionary history in NYC. This museum preserves artifacts and tells the story of the Revolution in New York, including Washington’s farewell to his officers in 1783. For more information: frauncestavernmuseum.org
Revolutionary era exhibits
Hands-on programs and special America 250 events
Located in the historic Fraunces Tavern building
The New York Historical — Manhattan
While not exclusively Revolutionary, this museum houses strong collections and exhibitions related to New York’s colonial and Revolutionary history. Visit: New-York Historical Society
Bonus Revolutionary Sites While in NYC
Even in a modern city, history survives in places and tours:
Historic Revolutionary Tours NYC to explore sites tied to the 1776 campaign. Check out: American Battlefield Trust
Brooklyn War Memorial (tribute to military service) and historical markers around the city commemorating Revolution-era events.
Trenton, New Jersey Revolutionary History
Old Barracks Museum — Trenton
One of the finest Revolutionary War museums in New Jersey, housed in a restored 1758 military barracks used during the war. It interprets the Battle of Trenton and life during the era. Reopening March 2026.
British soldiers were stationed here
Museum tours explain the war’s impact on soldiers and civilians
Trenton Battle Monument & New Jersey State House
Nearby historic landmarks connected to Revolutionary New Jersey and its role in the fight for independence. Click Trenton Historical Society for a Self-Guided Tours of Trenton’s Revolutionary War Battlefields.
Princeton Battlefield State Park
A preserved battlefield where Washington scored a key victory shortly after Trenton. Visitors can walk the grounds where Continental soldiers advanced and British forces retreated.
Princeton Battle Monument
Princeton Battlefield Monument in Princeton, NJ depicting George Washington and his troops. Douglas Ullman, Jr.
A towering monument commemorating the decisive Revolutionary battle in Princeton.
By early 1775, the American Revolution was no longer a series of angry protests and tense standoffs. It was war.
After the battles of Lexington and Concord in April, thousands of New England militia poured into the countryside surrounding Boston. Farmers became soldiers. Taverns became headquarters. Hillsides bristled with makeshift encampments. The British Army, commanded by General Thomas Gage, suddenly found itself trapped inside the city it had once confidently occupied.
For eleven long months, colonial forces encircled the city, cutting off supplies and steadily tightening the noose. The pivotal moment came in June at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where inexperienced colonial troops proved they could stand toe-to-toe with British regulars. Though the British technically claimed the field, their staggering losses sent a clear message. This rebellion would not be easily crushed.
This monument sits at the to of Bunker Hill, part of the Freedom Trail in Boston.
George Washington arrived in Cambridge soon after and assumed command of the newly formed Continental Army. What he lacked, however, were the tools of victory, especially heavy artillery.
The solution lay more than 300 miles away at a remote stone fortress on the edge of Lake Champlain.
Fort Ticonderoga: The Key That Turned the War
Perched between Lake George and Lake Champlain, Fort Ticonderoga had guarded this vital water corridor since the French and Indian War. When Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured the fort in May 1775, they seized far more than a strategic outpost. They captured cannons, the very weapons Washington desperately needed.
That winter, in one of the most remarkable logistical feats of the Revolution, Colonel Henry Knox led an epic expedition to haul more than sixty tons of artillery across frozen rivers, snow-choked forests, and rugged mountain passes. Oxen strained. Men froze. Wagons broke. Yet by March 1776, the guns arrived outside Boston.
Oxen pulled the cannons across the snow.
Washington positioned them atop Dorchester Heights, overlooking the harbor.
When the British awoke to see American cannons aimed squarely at their fleet, the siege was over. On March 17, 1776, British forces evacuated Boston. It was the first great victory of the American Revolution.
The road from Lexington had led, improbably and magnificently, through Ticonderoga.
Walking Where Jamie and Claire Might Have Stood
As a fan of Outlander, Fort Ticonderoga carries a special resonance. Diana Gabaldon’s time-traveling saga places Jamie and Claire Fraser deep within the political and military drama of the American Revolution, and standing on Ticonderoga’s stone ramparts makes it easy to imagine their presence here.
At sunset, as Lake Champlain glows and mist curls across the water, the fort feels suspended between centuries. The wind moves through the grasses. Cannons still point toward the horizon. The world of 1776 feels close enough to touch.
It is precisely the kind of place where Jamie might have surveyed the valley for British movement, and where Claire might have gathered medicinal plants in the shadow of history’s turning point.
Why This Journey Still Matters
The Siege of Boston and the capture of Fort Ticonderoga were not isolated events. Together, they formed the hinge on which the war first turned. Without Ticonderoga’s cannons, Boston might still have fallen, but not in 1776 and not in the way that unified the colonies and electrified the world.
For modern travelers, following this path is more than sightseeing. It is walking the opening chapters of the American story.
Fort Ticonderoga Travel Guide
Overlooking Fort Ticonderoga.
Ticonderoga • New York • On the Shores of Lake Champlain
I visited Fort Ticonderoga many years ago and recall it fondly. It’s location is one of the most evocative historical sites in North America — a restored 18th-century fort that played a pivotal role in both the French & Indian War and the American Revolution. Its star-shaped walls overlook Lake Champlain and Lake George, bringing to life the strategic struggles that shaped the long road to independence.
Location & Basic Info
Address: 102 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, NY 12883 Hours (2026 Season): Tues–Sun, 9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., May 2–Oct. 25 (last ticket 4:30) Fort Ticonderoga Website:fortticonderoga.org
What to See & Do
See cannon firing daily.
Explore the Historic Fort
Walk the ramparts and bastions that once guarded the gateway between Canada and the Hudson Valley. Interpretive signs and staff bring the battles and daily life of soldiers into vivid focus, from muskets and cannons to uniforms and fort defenses.
Living History Programs
Fort Ticonderoga offers North America’s premier living history experiences with daily interpretive activities that immerse you in 18th-century military life, trades, and tactics — perfect for history lovers and families alike.
REAL TIME REVOLUTION® — Living History & Reenactments
Fort Ticonderoga’s signature living history series, REAL TIME REVOLUTION®, animates pivotal moments from 1775–1777 through immersive events that unfold much the way they did 250 years ago.
Featured Events (2026 Highlights)
January–March Living History
Supplying Our Army in Canada — winter supply life (Jan. 17)
Precarious Garrison of Ticonderoga — soldiers wintering (Feb. 7)
Proceed to Canada — logistics & reenactors (Mar. 28)
Spring & Summer Signature Reenactments
Return of an Army — Continental Army retreat reenactment (July 3–5)
Fleet & Fortification: The Science of Defense — defensive works & lake vessels (Aug. 29–30)
Hold the Line for Liberty — battle reenactment (Oct. 24–25)
Seasonal Living History Days
Scots Day (June) — Scottish troops and musket demos
Memorial Day Weekend — tribute & Fifes & Drums ceremonies
Heritage, Harvest, & Horse Festival (Oct.)
These events go far beyond static displays — you experience camp life, battle drills, supply movements, and civilian roles that connect you with the lived reality of the Revolution.
America 250 at Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga is a key site in America 250, the nationwide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States.
May 10, 2025 marked 250 years since the capture of Fort Ticonderoga — one of the Revolution’s first major American victories.
Throughout 2025–2027, Fort Ticonderoga’s programs explore the people, alliances, and pivotal decisions that shaped the fight for independence.
Events include immersive reenactments, scholarly panels (e.g., Revolutionary anniversaries), and community celebrations tied into the broader semiquincentennial.
Whether you visit during a signature weekend or join everyday living history demonstrations, you’ll be walking ground that played a formative role in the birth of a nation.
Fort Defiance: A Companion Legacy Site
Just a short walk from Fort Ticonderoga you’ll find Fort Defiance, the defensive earthwork erected by the Continental Army after the fort’s capture in May 1775. Whereas Fort Ticonderoga’s reconstruction focuses on the earlier French and British phases of the fort’s history, Fort Defiance offers a window into the American Revolution’s very beginnings. Outlander fans will recall Jamie’s interest in Fort Defiance. too.
🎖 Why Visit Fort Defiance
Historical significance: Fort Defiance was built under the command of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold immediately following their surprise capture of Fort Ticonderoga on May 10, 1775 — an action that helped spark the Revolutionary War.
Strategic location: Positioned to overlook the southern approach to Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Defiance complemented the main fort’s defenses and helped secure American control of the area.
Interpretive experience: While not as architecturally elaborate as the main fort, Fort Defiance’s earthworks, trails, and interpretive signage help visitors understand how quickly Americans fortified the region and illustrate the evolving nature of warfare and logistics in the 1770s.
📷 Photo & Walk Tips
There is a scenic trail between Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Defiance that is perfect for photography — forested paths, historic earthworks, and dramatic lake views.
Visiting Fort Defiance adds depth to your understanding of the events of 1775 and enhances your overall Revolutionary War context.
🎺 Living History & Programs
Fort Ticonderoga offers North America’s premier living history experiences — hands-on demonstrations and immersive programs that bring the past to life.
📌 Tips for Visiting
Plan Ahead: Events and reenactments can sell out — especially in summer. Early booking is recommended. Best Time: May–October for full fort access and living history. Nearby Attractions: Lake Champlain cruises, historic Ticonderoga town, hiking and outdoor recreation.
