Ever since the first colonies were established in the land we have called America for over four hundred years, forts were built for protection. Protection against other Europeans attempting to claim the land, protection from the attacks of the Native Peoples who were upset with the interlopers and protection from large predators.
Some "forts" were merely structures with heavier than usual construction. Some were really meant to last, built of thick stone or adobe walls.
The development of the cannon induced a change in the design of forts. The old European castles crumbled as cannon balls shattered the relatively thin walls. Builders found that dirt ramparts could stop the balls so these began to be used extensively. As they came to this land they brought their new ideas with them.
Early American FortsJamestown Rediscovery, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities' Jamestown Rediscovery archaeological project, investigating the remains of 1607-1698 Jamestown in Virginia.
The Center For Fort Preservation and TourismAmerican Coast Defense Forts
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