Fort Ticonderoga is where the clash for empire and struggle for liberty happened!  Fort Ticonderoga is America’s Fort and is one of the most significant and oldest historic places to visit in North America. It tells the story of how the armies of Great Britain and France struggled to control a continent and where a generation later Americans fought to establish a free nation.  It celebrates how America remembers its past and finds inspiration in the power of place to preserve its epic history for future generations. Ticonderoga’s land has been contested since the earliest European explorers set foot on its shores over four hundred years ago.  The first armed conflict using firearms in the Lake Champlain region took place in July 1609 when Samuel de Champlain and his Algonquin allies fought a brief skirmish with Iroquois warriors while exploring the Ticonderoga peninsula.  A century and a half later during the French and Indian War, the French army began fortifying the area.  Constructed beginning in the fall of 1755 Fort Carillon, later called Ticonderoga was built to guard a portage on the narrow water highway connecting New France with Britain’s American colonies.  On July 8th, 1758 the British army attacked the French at Ticonderoga attempting to seize control of this strategic Fort.  After a day-long battle and outnumbering the French army nearly five to one, the British were defeated suffering casualties of nearly 2000 men killed and wounded.  For France, the Battle of Carillon was their greatest victory of the entire war.  The British returned in July of 1759 and succeeded in capturing the Fort. Fort Ticonderoga remained a British outpost until May 10th, 1775, when Ethan Allan and his Green Mountain Boys along with Benedict Arnold captured the Fort in a daring early morning raid achieving one of the first major victories of the American Revolution.  The cannon captured at the Fort in May 1775 were later hauled to Boston to provide the fledging American army critically needed artillery to defend the city.  Ticonderoga’s guns helped force the British to evacuate Boston in March of 1776.