New York's Liberty Island was a Military Fort

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When Liberty Island served as a military fort, it played a crucial role in defending the strategic entrance to New York Harbor. Originally known as Bedloe's Island, it was fortified in the early 19th century to safeguard the harbor from potential enemy incursions. The island's strategic location made it an ideal site for military installations, and it housed various defensive structures over the years, including Fort Wood, which was completed in 1811. During its time as a military fort, Fort Wood served as a key defense point during the War of 1812 and later became the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. Its military significance gradually diminished, and by the late 19th century, the island's focus shifted towards becoming a symbol of freedom and democracy, culminating in the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886.
IT’S HISTORY - Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
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Scriptwriter - Gregory Back
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Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

[@ITSHISTORY]

Go to www.worldanvil.com/?c=ITSHISTORY and use our code ITSHISTORY for 51% OFF any yearly subscription to World Anvil.

[@8avexp]

My father photographed the Statue of Liberty from the deck of the H. M. Hersey, the military transport boat that brought my parents to this country, in April 1949. You can see some of the buildings that are depicted here.

[@zyzor]

When the British invaded New York in 1776, they used the island as a mooring for British warships and livestock were kept on it.

[@jonathanlong6987]

A note on the obsolescence of star forts that it is largely due to the increased ranges of rifled 19th century artillery enabling higher trajectories of shells thus landing on top of & within such forts.

[@katarn999]

Look at the form of the basis. That is a star fortress if I have ever seen one. That much was clear for me since... well... forever.

[@patsmith6867]

10:00 "the Arm Holding the Torch" Shows a Photo of the Left Arm that holds the Tablet .

[@wfs63]

Fort Wood is a star fort. It has no bastions. A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the flanks being able to protect the curtain wall and the adjacent bastions. Fort Wood has 11 salients. Battery Weed on Staten Island, Fort Jay on Governors Island and Fort Schuyler at Throggs Neck are bastioned forts. The salients on Fort Wood have two faces but no flanks.

[@maybehuman4]

This is a beautiful allegory. The beacon of the free world and liberty was built on a solid foundation of strength.

[@edholmwood2263]

Another excellent video Ryan. Thank you so much for doing all the research to share with us.

[@ITSHISTORY]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stanream3957]

Isolation of Smallpox for a while . Used for a Leper Colony . Then a Hospital during the Civil War .

[@justbe1451]

I have deep doubts the world wide star forts were built in the 1800's. Especially in the US.

[@allenschmitz9644]

I like how it was on 17th Century maps as a star fort.

[@ycplum7062]

The primary purpose of moats (ditches) was to prevent the attackers from moving seige towers or battering rams up to the walls. Being an obstacle to infantry was an added bonus.

[@EdwardGregoryNYC]

Ft. Wood was also the site of the last public hanging in New York State. Albert W. Hicks, a career criminal, got himself hired on an oyster sloop called the A.E. Johnson. He slaughtered the crew with an axe, leaving only a few fingers where a man had clinged to the edge to the last moment. Hicks was convicted of piracy. His hanging on Friday July 13, 1860 was a huge spectacle with thousands watching from festooned boat in the harbor. I like to think of this moment as the first Op Sail.

[@stanream3957]

Originally Oyster Island . Original Star Fort Battery . Outfitted with Rodman Canons

[@funrun07haan50]

Dope thxn for this awsome vid

[@matthewlemire]

Great video! I was at Liberty Island when they were still in the process of doing the restoration work on the exterior of Fort Wood.

[@ilikelampshades6]

We have tonnes of star fortresses all over England

[@shealdedmon7027]

There are tons of star forts all over the world and they weren't built in the 1800s.

[@vincenthprice2260]

It’s doesn’t surprise me if look at liberty island it looks like fortress and pedestal that the Statue of Liberty stands on, looks like a fortress

[@seandobson499]

As an Englishman, I am mighty glad that the ship carrying the Statue of Liberty did not sink on its way from France as it has become a symbol of America and freedom itself, recognized all round the world.

[@tomamore3]

Ya left out a bunch about how it was offered to many different countries before it ended up in NY harbor. Or how the tour was a fundraiser.

[@skyden24195]

I've long wondered about that, i.e., the fact that the base supporting Lady Liberty had a star-fort shape to it. Thanks for making this video which confirmed that the reason it looked like a star-fort is because it "was" a star-fort.

[@speedysteve9121]

Woweee, man! I see those ocean levels remaining the same.

[@susanwahl6322]

I was stationed at Fort Wadsworth. It was the Chapel’s school.

[@cme1027]

When and y was fort Totten established? It's the border between the Bronx Manhattan and Queens.. right by the throngs neck bridge???

[@williamchamberlain2263]

It's to defend the harbor and river from e.g. the British or French. Built 1862

[@J.A.Smith2397]

Find something about the destruction of native Vikas l village in Northern Indiana, last holdout of native Americans in the east half

[@CharlottevdVeen]

Is that the statue of literby?

[@sinisterisrandom8537]

Liberty.

[@zintosion]

Socash is such a dope surname

[@seandobson499]

Well, he did not get to choose it, and it seems perfectly alright to me.

[@zintosion]

@@seandobson499 dope means it's a cool surname. Not an insult lol

[@ToyInsanity]

Fort Wood is a Star Fort. There are 11 salients. These are not bastions.

[@mikecrawford6284]

It's history.It's one of my favorite programs

[@1puppetbike]

3:28 That's a star city. Windmills and cathedrals. And they date back long before the cannon.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Nope, that's just what you _want_ to believe so you've got some esoteric knowledge to feel smug about

[@1puppetbike]

@@williamchamberlain2263 show me where the cannons go in the linked image?

[@Chips2323]

Another GREAT subject information Professor Socash, I was just to lazy to look it up, but I would always look at the Statue of Liberty the base always reminded of the Star of David, ( i think to many points around base) and that was Jesus standing on the base and all of the Arch Angels were at like the North South East sections and as a great war would invade the Great Statue, that is kinda where it would stop, kinda like a dream or a vision of seeing something, any way great lesson for today thank you be safe and at peace...

[@mrb.5610]

Some good ones in the UK - Fort George, Tilbury and the walls around the town of Berwick upon Tweed. Was into them for some weird reason when I was a teenager !

[@KarenRose70]

It was first to go to Egypt. Suez canal

[@Normal1855]

Actually, it's New Jersey Liberty Island, since it's right off the coast of New Jersey.

[@AnComZharptitza]

Nope....New York owns the natural part of the island. New Jersey owns the filled in land and the water around it.

[@TheChosenOne66501]

why did you disable dislikes? I cant even see how many likes lol

[@hendo337]

It's ludacris to believe that these forts conform to the official historical narrative. If you see Fort Ontario for example, I was able to figure out at a very young age that if I was able to climb up the wall and run over the sloping earth, an Army of invaders could do the same and easily take the fort. Those structures were repurposed. There's zero chance that society as described to us in the official narrative created Fort Jackson 100 miles from the nearest city with no fresh water in the ocean on an "island" that hardly breaks the surface of the ocean with only sand where only light grasses or palms can grow. There is a serious problem with what we are told. The Federal government and the state government was very small at that time and it should have been impossible to finance the construction of all those things and because the population was small there would be nobody to build it and also perform all the other necessary jobs for society to function while so much labor and materials are being wasted on such unnecessarily complex and large structures often in areas with zero military significance.