4 of America’s Most Impressive Historic Forts 

2:10 The five pointed star design was not new in when the fort was uppgarded. Swedens capital Stockholm had almost the same wall design, but in the 13th centery!

The fortifications at West Point where designed by Polish/American revolutionary war hero Tadeusz Kościuszko, he also greatly improved the fortifications at fort Ticonderoga which were pivotal in the battle that took place there.

Hey Simon, I am a volunteer at the Castilo de San Marcos. Yours is a very accurate description. Thanks

I'd just caught up... refreshed the page and there's two more Simon Whistler videos because of course there are.

Another of the most impressive Civil War fortifications are the casemates at Fort Monroe, Va. It overlooked the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton Rhodes and had President Jefferson Davis as one of its prisoners' of war. Fort Monroe was the headquarters for the Continental Army Command until recently.

Amazed that you didn’t mention Fort Jefferson. The largest red brick building in the US and located 70 miles from nearest land in Florida Keys...

EL Morro & El Fuerte San Cristobal, both on Puerto Rico, part of America's forts and federally protected

Fort McHenry. My hometown of Baltimore. 🇺🇸🇺🇸

Thank you. 😊 As usual for Simon, great video and excellent commentary! 👍👍

I've been to three out of four of these forts . I hope to get up the Maryland to see the last

My family goes on a vacation just south of St Augustine every year, and over the years I've visited every fort in the area that still stands. Great to see Matanzas on this list (figured it would be based on the title card lol). The history of that area is fascinating, would love to see a geographics on it some day!

I've been to the St Augustine fort so many times. It's a beautiful city and totally worth visiting if you have the chance

0:55 - Chapter 1 - Fort mchenry 4:05 - Chapter 2 - Fort sumter 7:05 - Chapter 3 - Castillo de san marcos 10:00 - Chapter 4 - Fort pulaski

All very cool forts to visit, esp. Pulaski, though my favorite American fort by far is the fort at Dry Tortuga at the end of the keys. Massive place, and it's where they sent Dr. Mudd to serve his sentence for treating John Wilkes Booth after he shot Lincoln.

"Crabcakes and crime." 🤣 This guy cracks me up!

“Americans think that 100 years is old, and the British thing that 100 miles is far.” The more I get to know these two countries, the more I find this axiom to be true.

These are the videos that's we all love. Thank SW!

The Rodman guns at Ft. McHenry date to the Civil War period and later, they were not present during the War of 1812. The forst Rodmans were the Model of 1861. Also, you might have mentioned the Endicott Period (1895 and later) 12" concrete battery which takes up much of the middle of Ft. Sumter.

Hoping the exclusion of Castillo San Cristobal in Puerto Rico was because there's a Mega Projects video in the works...

It's not the Continental United States, but Fort Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico is an AMAZING fort right on the ocean that was extremely strategic to multiple militaries throughout it's history.

The 15 inch Rodman guns at Fort McHenry that you depict were added during the Civil War, and definitely not present in 1812. The heaviest guns back then were 32 and 42 pounders. As for Fort Pulaski, there is a very good account of the siege written by Quincy Gilmore, the Chief Engineer of the attacking force in Volume Two of Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Gen. Gilmore gives the exact number and size of the guns used. The rifle pieces that did the most damage were five 30-pounder Parrot Rifles and five James rifles made from older smoothbore guns. The James Rifles were one 48 pounder, two 64 pounder, and two 84 pounder guns, the rifle projectiles being twice the weight of the smoothbore spherical shot. The gun ranges of these pieces were 1670 yards and 1650 yards. It is well worth the read.

I've been to fort Sumter twice it's really cool

The July 4th fireworks at the Bridge of Lions next to Castillo de San Marcos is one of my favorite places to watch from in the country. The full history of the fort is worth it's own Geographics episode and we'll worth the full guided tour.

At 1:11... Great shot of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, the last and only tall-ship still commissioned and serving! 🇺🇸

I go fishing regularly by Castillo San Marcos, its pretty good

You should have mentioned Fort SanFelipe del Morro in Puerto Rico which is the Largest and oldest fort on USA soil

Castillo de San Marco may the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States but San Felipe de el Morro in Puerto Rico handily beats it in time (1533) and size.

Love to see a video on the mulberry harbours, floating concrete docks used for the D-Day assault and logistics!

You missed Fort Jefferson, the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere.

I’ve been inside the one in St. Augustine a couple of times. It’s very cool. 😊

Here in St Augustine, we say “sharl-mane.”

Another fine video Simon, well done! How about America's Intracoastal Waterway for a Side Project or perhaps even a Mega Project?

Good video! Good forts! I notice those are all in the South and the East- Northern California has some beautiful forts, too. Have you looked into Forts Point, Cronkite and Ross? Fort Point- brick Civil War fort under the Golden Gate Bridge. Fort Cronkite- a series of gun placements set into the hills north of San Francisco to defend against a WW2 Japanese assault that never came. Fort Ross- a wooden fort of Russian origin in Jenner, California. Good work, Simon!

Thanks man your an awesome dude!!!

Great video👍👍👊

Very good and informative video. There are many other great forts to see around the country. Fort Jefferson, at the end of the Florida Keys, is a very interesting and unique fort. The French Fort Duquesne and British Fort Pitt at the confluence of rivers in Pittsburgh. And 4 forts in my home state of NY: Fort Stanwix, in Rome and Fort William Henry (Last of the Mohicans), in Lake George, prominent in the French and Indian War, and Fort Ticonderoga and West Point, prominent in the American Revolution.

I got to say that I was lucky enough to visit all four forts in the First Coast region of Florida from Fort Clinch on Amelia Island, Ft. Caroline, Castillo de San Marcos, and Fort Matanzas. So much history in that area.

St. Augustine my hometown finally gets a mention in a Simon video!! Finally!!

Ft Jefferson in gulf of Mexico was one of the major forts and strategically critical

Could you do 4 most impressive Canadian fortifications 1: Ft. Prince of Wales, Manitoba 2: Ft Chambly, Quebec 3: Halifax Citadel, Nova Scotia 4: Fortifications of Quebec City

Ft Pulaski was an interesting choice. Personally I'd have thought Ft Zachory Taylor (in Key West Fl) or Ft Jefferson (Dry Tortugas) should have taken that last spot. However they are all interesting places to visit.

I went to visit Fort Pulaski one hot summer day, as the sun went down I was thankful for bug spray and the sounds of the Summer Pops from the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, loved the fort and the music, of all the Forts listed, Fort Sumter was the most underwhelming and Castillo de San Marcos my favorite, even though I grew up in Baltimore not far from Fort McHenry

Castillo De San Marco is about 30 minutes from where I live, and I have visited many times over the years. It is located in St. Augustine, Florida, the nation's oldest city.

Fort Meigs outside of Perrysburg, Ohio was an impressive fort in its day, built to be a supply depot and staging area for military operations in Canada during the War of 1812, it was the largest wooden walled fortification in North America. British and Native American forces bombarded the fort for nine days in 1813, but failed to do much damage. It was later reduced in size after the British left the area, and was reduced in size again to a small, square stockade after the war before being permanently abandoned after the signing of the Treaty of Fort Meigs in 1817. The local historical society has rebuilt the fort to its original 1813 configuration and it is open for tours.

If you get to St Augustine FL, the fort is really well preserved. The city is pretty nice as well. Ft Desoto is pretty impressive as well. That is in St Petersburg FL.

I totally didn't click this video thinking it was gonna be about Impressive Historic Farts... lol

So cool! I’ve been to all of them except Ft. McHenry - that’s next on my list!

Ft. McHenry, was not in 1814 armed with Rodman Guns as Thomas Jackson Rodman (1815-1871 was not even born then Rodman Guns were made in the 1860s.

Seems someone learned. Thank you 🇬🇧

St Augustine be my waters mate where I pillage and plunder as a Pirate. A very important fact you left out about Castillo de San Marcos is that it never fell to enemy forces. It is also the oldest masonry fort in the United States.

Could you do a side project on the Sydney Opera House? I remember there were problems with the original designer of it and the costs.. might be worth looking at.

Worth noting, I think, that the Castillo de San Marcos is North America’s oldest masonry fort and that although it’s been ceded several times, it has never been conquered. During the two occasions when the English burned the town, the people sheltered inside the fort and lived to rebuild. Also, just across Matanzas Bay on Anastasia Island (in what is now the Davis Shores neighborhood) are a couple pieces of artillery brought by founder of the Georgia colony James Oglethorpe to harass the Spanish city, but he had his ass handed to him so utterly that he had to abandon them there when he turned tail.

Y’all. This is the first Simon Whistler I’ve ever seen where I can say I’ve actually been where he’s talking about. I live is Savannah, so I’ve been to Pulaski. And St. Augustine and Charleston are both only a few hours drive! So I’ve been to all of these forts except the one in Baltimore!

I have been to all 4 plus a couple more less known .

Other interesting forts to consider are Fort Knox in Maine which is in pristine condition and never fired upon; Fort Ticonderoga in New York which fell to British troops in the French and Indian War and remained in commission through 1931; and Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas off of the coast of Florida

A big advantage San Marcos had was it's position along the Matanzas Inlet. There is a natural harbor the Spanish used as a stopping off point between South America and Spain. But to get to it you must use a narrow channel. This led to attackers following a very predictable route. If they attempted to evade they would likely run aground and become even more predictably motionless.

here are 4 more: Ticonderoga Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas Fort Macon NC Fort Pitt - Pittsburgh PA

Your title is misleading. I was excited to hear you talk about El Morro and/or San Cristobal forts in San Juan Puerto Rico. Womp Womp. You really should do an episode on just these 2 forts. I enjoy your videos!!👍🏻

Fort Niagara should be on the list. Important in French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812. Also housed German POWs during WW2. Also add Fort Ticonderoga.

In the background at 1:11 is the US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Eagle. It’s an active duty three mast sailing ship used as part of the coast guard officer training.

Some minor details... Fort Sumter was not abandoned in 1861; it was re-garrisoned by the Confederacy. The pictures that you show of the damaged fort were not from the 1861 bombradment but from the August 1863 bombardment when Union forced recaptured the fort.

I’m close to ft Sumter. It’s a beautiful beast!!

Good video 👍

Fort Pulaski was fitted with more modern turret guns and was a coastal defense during WW2. It was decommissioned and returned to historical status after WW2 but the last time I was there, the WW2 cannons were still in place. Take Care and nice Video! Be Safe, John

Suggest that you do a review of the forts around Portsmouth UK. There are examples of some of the earliest(A Roman Fort), to some of the last forts designed when the advance of artillery meant that an attack from the north could be devastating to the fleet. These forts were named as Palmerston's follies, because they were never needed. However, perhaps they weren't needed because of the presence of the Palmerston forts around the hills overlooking Portsmouth. A canal was cut through the peninsular that has Portsmouth on it, and thus it is really on an island! There are some minor fort remains, which would have protected that canal. On Gosport side, there is a ring of forts from many different eras, all designed to protect Portsmouth from the west, and linking up with the Palmerston forts. There is probably enough material for several videos,, especially as one of the Palmerston forts, HMS Nelson, is now a Royal Armouries museum.

Fort de Chartres in Illinois is an quite the sight as well. Especially for a frontier fort

Two suggestions: Followup, a mega-project on the US Endicott fort building circa 1890-1920s, including the forts in Manila Bay. Old suggestion: cable powered street railways, the way to move your city in the 1880s.

I'm thinking it might be more appropriate for Geographics, Simon should do a video on Valletta, Malta. The whole city was a fort in styles that clearly influence these.

Interesting fact about Coquina used in Castillo de San Marcus is that once the stone was exposed to air in the quarry it hardened in under a day and was nearly impossible to cut and shape. Therefore the specs for each stone was pre-engineered so they would be removed and shaped to exact specs within an hour of being cut from the quarry.

Unrelated to forts, but I really wish you would do some stories on the former Naval Weapons Range, and current Idaho National Laboratory. There is a lot of cool history in that place. From testing of naval cannons used in WW2 to the first nuclear power plant (EBR-1), first city to be powered by nuclear energy, and the deadliest nuclear accident in the US (SL-1). I am especially interested in the story of SL-1. There are a lot of rumors about it, from possible love triangle murder suicide, to a ghost ambulance contaminated by radiation ending up in Vegas.

Excellent video. I would’ve included New York’s Fort Jay into this list as well. Located on Governors Island in New York harbor, the fort is of a 4-sided star design; erected in the early 19th century. It overlooks Manhattan, and along with Castle Williams and Castle Clinton, shielded the harbor from invasion.

The southeast wall of the eastern tip of Castillo de San Marco (@8:02) looks like a block of Swiss cheese despite the fact it wasn't the wall facing the harbor that would've received fire from incoming naval attacks. This intrigued me as I could clearly tell it wasn't formed by erosion of the Coquina rock. When I asked one of the historians about it his grim answer immediately made sense - That wall was used as the firing line for executions & a lot of times the unlucky souls were often former colleagues of the firing squad so they would fire with their eyes closed, causing some of the rounds to strike the wall nearly 10ft off the ground. The moral to the story here is be kind to thyne neighbor...

I completely thought the title said "America's Most Impressive Farts". Kinda disappointed now...

at over 23,000 acres I would have thought Fort Ticonderoga would be on this list

Episode suggestion: Cresson Mine/Cresson Vug in Cripple Creek, CO.

As an individual who is interested in military history and has done videos on western forts, I am always impressed with the masonry forts on the east coast from New England to New Orleans. These forts are so different from the western forts and are still whaat people image when they hear the word "fort." I enjoyed the video, but could see argument on which forts are the most impressive.

how about a video on the influence of roman architecture when designing the dc capitol and national monuments and government buildings

In the same vein, you should make a video about the fortifications and the Citadel of Quebec city. To my knowledge, it is the only fortified city in North America and it has a lot of history, being the battleground of the XVIIIe century's war between France and Britain.

Ooooohhhh How about a side projects on the American Military's primary proving grounds like the Yuma Proving Ground (a lot of equipment testing and some HALO training there) and Aberdeen Proving Ground. Could combine the PG with Training Centers like the National Training Center in Ft. Irwin, Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany...

No Fort Adams in Newport, RI. The parade ground is large enough to contain McHenry, Sumter, and Ticonderoga. With room to spare. It is a third system masonry fort with brick casemates. It is consider the most complex fortification in the Western Hemisphere.

Please consider doing either a Side Projects or Geographics on Ft. Stanwix and it’s closely related pivotal Revolutionary War conflict, the Battle of Oriskany. Located in Upstate NY’s city of Rome and village of Oriskany, respectively, are at the heart of early America’s quest for independence and soon were the backdrop for its commercial development with the construction of the groundbreaking (pun intended) Erie Canal nearby.

I grew up with a Revolutionary era 5-point Star fort down the street from my house. It was actually an active military post until the 1960s. It was the site of several battles during the War of 1812, and it was also the only place in the US to house Jewish war refugees from Europe during WW2. Now it’s a historic site owned by the state.

Here at Cape Town, South Africa, there is a fort the same shape as Fort McHenry. It is called 'The Castle'.

These are all lovely places but my favourite fort of all has to be Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome, NY. Unfortunately it isn't the original fort but a remade plan of the original. It is indeed a great place to visit.

Be cool if you did Canadian forts as well. You have the walled city of Quebec, the Citadels in Quebec and Halifax, and older smaller forts like Fort York and Fort Chambly... All have interesting bits of history too!

I have always been more impressed by Fort Moultrie than its sister Fort Sumter. Moultrie was an active military installation from 1776 to 1947.

I would love vid or series about Russian and English attempts to settle the US west coast and Alaska.

Forgot Ft Monroe. Active from 1823 to 2011. Largest fort by area built in the US. Even though it Virginia was a part of the confederacy during the Civil War, it remained in Union control. Called Freedom’s Fortress because slaves escaping to the fort would be freed. Also housed Jefferson Davis for a short time after his capture in GA. It remained a coastal defense fort through both WW1 and WW 2. Finally it was used for training until it was decommissioned in 2011. And that’s just a little of it’s history. You could easily do a piece on it alone.

Fort Vancouver WA. Along with John Mclaughlin.

Side Projects Idea - "How Solo Cups Revolutionized The Way Video Production Occurs In Stories Of Business." Live Long and Prosper.

Nice to see the Castillo on here. St. Augustine born and raised.

Fort Washington on the Potomac River just south of Washington, DC, on the Maryland side is impressive! Built in the 1840's. Additional fortifications were added outside the fort in the 1890's using the modern guns of that time. As a child in the early 1950's I remember Army MPs drilling in the center courtyard of the fort and visitors could drive over the drawbridge and park inside.

Simon, you need to check out Fort Ticonderoga on Lake George. It saw action in the French and Indian War and the Revolution…..

6 forts covering almost 200 years outside Savannah. Fort King George, Fort Pulaski, Fort Jackson, Fort Washington(almost nothing is left of this fort), Fort Macalister, Fort Screven.

Thought some forts from Puerto Rico would appear due to their size and history, maybe in the future we could see it, also another interesting video would be about the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista since it's the oldest church build I'm the United States. Keep up the fun and educational videos!

Fort Knox in Maine is really a neat fort too

you should do similar with British then European Castles

I was expecting Fort Niagara to make the list.

Shoutout to my hometown St. Augustine! The Nation’s Oldest City!

Check out fort Adams in Newport. This one is massive