Fort Ticonderoga was built by the French in 1755 during the French and Indian War. They called it Fort Carillon. They built it to protect their fur-trading route. It was the first French fort in North America. They built it with wooden walls with mud then covered it with stone. Then they built barracks inside that could hold up to 400 men and a large powder magazine.

The fort withstood a major attack by the British in 1758. The 4,000 French soldiers also protected the fort from being captured by Abercrombie and his 16,000 men. Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys from Vermont performed a surprise attack and captured the fort during the American Revolution in 1775.

As General Burgyone prepared for his assault on Fort Ticonderoga in 1777, the Americans gathered a garrison force of 3,000 men, patriots, continentals, and militia under Major General Arthur S. St. Clair. Believing that he would be severely tested by the assault on Fort Ticonderoga, Burgyone brought cannons. The British in those times called Mt. Defiance Sugar Loaf Hill. No in Burgyone's army believed that cannons could be hauled up Sugar Loaf Hill except one of his commanders. So they started the haul on July 4, 1777. The Americans did not believe that cannons could be hauled up Mt. Defiance either so they were not prepared when they saw this.

When General St. Clair saw cannons up on top of Mt. Defiance he was devastated. He sadly forced the evacuation of the fort because he decided the Americans would not be able to defend the Fort. They left in the darkness by two routes, water, and land. The British blew up the fort and then followed the Americans escape route. The Americans did not know this. Four Hundred Americans were killed and two hundred British were killed.

In 1908 the Fort was rebuilt and opened as an educational non-profit museum. If you go there today you will be taking a walk down history lane back into the French and Indian, and Revolutionary wars. It is an extremely fascinating place.