Siege of of Fort Ticonderoga (1777)
On 6 July 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, American forces abandoned Fort Ticonderoga in what became one of the most controversial retreats of the conflict. After a brief British bombardment directed by General John Burgoyne, the Continental Army withdrew from the fort and its surrounding defenses, surrendering a position long considered the “Gibraltar of the North.” Though bloodless, the event sent shockwaves through the American colonies and reshaped the course of the Saratoga campaign. Strategic importance of Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga sat at a critical chokepoint between Lake Champlain and Lake George in present-day New York. Whoever controlled it commanded the main invasion route between Canada and the Hudson River Valley. Since its dramatic capture by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold in May 1775, the fort had become a symbol of American resolve and a cornerstone of northern defenses. By 1777, however, the fort’s symbolic value exceeded it...