" . . . [the Narrows are] the place pointed out by nature for the defense of the harbor . . . " ? ? Prussian General Friedrich von Steuben, Aide to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War
How do you protect one of the world's busiest ports? This question has challenged military leaders for centuries. In 1776, the British landed unopposed on Staten Island, captured New York City, fortified this point, and occupied the area until the Revolutionary War ended.
Starting in 1794, the state of New York began building forts here. The War of 1812 hastened those efforts and, by 1817, ten forts built by the state and the U.S. War department ringed this harbor.
As weapons improved over time, this circle of forts expanded to defend New York Harbor - which has not been attacked since the British left in 1783.
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