Perched high atop a peninsula jutting out into the mighty Hudson River, West Point proved to be the lynch pin in defeating the British in the American Revolution. Holding and defending this high ground prevented the British from dividing the colonies in two by controlling the Hudson River. Their goal was to take the Hudson and eliminate the flow of commerce between the New England colonies and the South. General George Washington knew the strategic importance of the Hudson River and poured his resources into its defense and military improvements.

The most important of these fortifications was atop West Point. From this strategically important location all shipping and river traffic was under his control effectively bottling up the British in Manhattan. The location was of such importance that it was the fortifications at West Point that Revolutionary hero Benedict Arnold attempted to surrender to the British, bringing about his downfall and flight into exile as a traitor to his country.

In 1802 by Act of Congress, Thomas Jefferson created the first military academy in the United States, at West Point. Now, the oldest military academy in the country, West Point Military Academy serves the US Army as its primary officer training grounds with thousands of cadets at any one time marching and attending classes, continuing the proud traditions of the "long gray line."

Visiting West Point can be a fun and exciting experience. To enter the post, you go to the Visitors Center in Highland Falls, immediately outside the Main Gate. The Visitor Center has interactive displays about the "Point" showing cadet life. The West Point Museum is located just behind the Visitor Center and is not to be missed. It houses the largest collection of armamant in the world and is an educational as well as exciting museum to visit. From the Visitor Center you can take guided tours of the Point aboard air-conditioned coaches with guides relating the history and pointing out the sites. On the tour you stop at the Cadets Chapel and at Trophy Point. One of the fun experiences of being at the Point is when the cadets, unannounced, burst out of the barracks, in formation, and march about chanting at the top of their lungs. As quickly as they appear, the dissappear again into the barracks and the field grows silent again.

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing the post is on high alert as a result of the September 11 attack. Access to West Point is basically via the guided coach tours. However, during times when the post is not on high alert, the public is welcomed onto the post to wander the grounds and take in the sights and sounds of cadet life. Monuments to some of the greatest Generals of American History surround the Parade Grounds and Trophy Point provides the single most spectacular view of the Hudson River to be found in the entire Valley. For those interested in investigation the pase, the Cemetery at West Point houses some of the most prominent people in the history of America. Presidents and Generals as well as enlisted men can be found resting in this hallowed ground.

The West Point Band holds scheduled concerts in season at the amphitheatre at Trophy Point. Make sure to check the schedule as it is an experience not to be missed. Eisenhower Hall also provides a venu for touring shows and theatrical events throughout the year. When planning your trip to West Point, just remember that it is the single most visited site in the Hudson Valley and for awhile at least it will remain on security high alert, so allow time and have a little patience. You will surely enjoy your visit and the experiences you have at West Point.

American Revolution in the Hudson Valley

Frequently overlooked in the great sweep of history as being the central battleground of the American Revolution, the Hudson Valley determined the success or failure of the Colonial States in their quest for independence from Great Britain. Strategically, the Hudson River was the only navigable river into the interior of the continent and its location empowered whoever controlled it to either allow or prevent commerce between the northern Colonies and those in the south. Should the British have been able to gain control of the Hudson, the outcome of the war would surely have been different.

And the British spent great time, effort and resources attempting to gain control of the mighty Hudson River just so they could control the commercial trade routes between north and south. Their first act in the war was to take Manhattan and drive General Washington and his continental troups north chasing them up to White Plains and forcing them across the river. In a massive effort, they then descended south from Canada under the command of Gen. Burguoyne, down through Lake Champlain, down the Hudson battling the colonists at every turn. Finally at Saratoga, Burguoyne lost his momentum and was defeated and captured, bringing the battle over the northern Hudson to a close.

Throughout the war, various fortifications and sites in Orange County were pivotal in the efforts of Washington and his troops to stay the British and prevent them from coming up into the Hudson Valley. Chief among these locations was West Point, site of the major fortifications along the Hudson and commanded by Benedict Arnold. Washington himself spent more time in the Hudson Valley and Orange County than any other location in the colonies during the war years. And as the war drew to a close, it was Orange County that Washington chose as his last staging ground for his troops and his entorage to insure the British didn't attempt a run up the Hudson before the final treaties could be signed.

Orange County is rich in Revolutionary sites ranging from the mundane of camp life for enlisted men right up Washington's final residence prior to his resigning from the Continental Army. As individual places, they do not overwhelm the visitor with their grandeur or the role they played in the struggle for independence. Collectively, they should overwhelm the visitor in significance to their daily lives and how different America would be today were it not for the foresight, diligence and sacrifice made to hold and defend these places in Orange County.