Fort Gibson, NY-- Part 4: Worsening Tensions Between the U.S. and Britain

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Fort Gibson:  Oyster Banks to Batteries

The earliest fort at this site was built in 1794.  Britain's navy had begun seizing American merchant vessels and forcing sailors to serve on their warships.  (Impressment)  Congress decided that America's most important harbors should be defended in case of war.

Charles Vincent, a French engineer, was hired to construct defenses in New York Harbor.  He chose tiny Oyster Island (as Ellis Island was then called), known only for its ouster banks and shad fishing as the location of an eight-gun battery.

Tensions between Britain and the United States continued to worsen and in 1807, a British frigate attacked the frigate USS Chesapeake.  This led President Jefferson to further improve the nation's defenses and many of the earlier forts were rebuilt.

--Brock-Perry