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The 2010 Theme "Innovation in History: Impact and Change"
This year’s National History Day Theme is “Innovation in History: Impact and Change.” For students looking for a potential project related to Fort Ticonderoga, we suggest:
- Henry Knox and the Noble Train of Artillery—In the fall of 1775, General George Washington’s army outside of Boston desperately needed artillery. The previous May, a small force led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured Fort Ticonderoga and its large store of cannon. Henry Knox was given the task of transporting 59 pieces of artillery over 300 miles from Ticonderoga to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Knox’s accomplishment, moving the “Noble Train of Artillery” through the winter snows to General Washington gave the Continental Army the ability to force the British out of Boston in March 1776. How did Knox manage to move nearly 60 tons of cannon over 300 miles? Who helped him? What innovations enabled the feat?
- Sebastian Vauban: How Artillery Changed the Way Europeans built Fortifications—Vauban was a French military engineer credited with creating Vauban-style fortifications, better known as “star forts.” Vauban’s fortifications featured multi-sided forts enabling the heavy artillery to provide a comprehensive field of fire. Because of the multiple angles, no matter where the approaching enemy might be, there were cannon pointed in that direction. Why is Vauban considered the father of 18th-century fortifications? How did his work impact 18th-century warfare? What ultimately ended the predominance of Vauban-style fortifications?
- Stephen Pell and Alfred Bossom: Innovators in Historic Preservation—When Stephen Pell, with the help of architect Alfred Bossom, began restoration work on Fort Ticonderoga in 1909, they found themselves breaking new ground. With the exceptions of Mount Vernon and Monticello, very little restoration work of the type they planned to undertake at Fort Ticonderoga had been attempted. Their ground-breaking work preceded the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg by twenty years. What steps did they take to insure historical accuracy? What was the lasting impact of their pioneering efforts? What mistakes did they make that may have informed future restoration projects?