TICONDEROGA — It might be the present day outside those stone walls, but at Fort Ticonderoga this season it’s 1760 all over again.
“In 1760, the fort was in English hands,” said Curator Dr. Matthew Keagle. “In 1759, the British built two warships here, made by American Provincial soldiers under British direction. The (French and Indian) War was by no means over.”
‘SUCCESS’ EXHIBIT
He said it was the most aggressive campaign of the conflict also known as the Seven Years War.
“Troops funneled up through this region,” he said. “Thousands of muskets were stored here and given out to Provincial troops. Three (British) armies converged on Montreal and New France surrendered.”
Fort Ticonderoga’s new exhibit this season is called “Success – The End of the Seven Years War.” It’s housed on the second floor of the Mars Education Center at the fort and includes some never-before-seen artifacts.
Many are from the museum’s newly acquired Robert Nittolo Collection, and complement pieces from Fort Ticonderoga’s existing collection. Nittolo was an author and collector who wrote about British military weapons in colonial America. His collection of more than 3,000 militaria items spans the 17th and 18th centuries.
‘WORLDWIDE IMPACT’
Also in 1760, Capt. Horatio Gates was the major of regiment and in charge of the fort, which was staffed by New York Independent Companies of troops. Gates had been promoted to general when he later commanded the American victory at the Battles of Saratoga that helped end the Revolutionary War in 1777.
Fort President and Chief Executive Officer Beth Hill said they want to remind visitors of the scope of what was happening around Ticonderoga in 1760.
“It was more than just local history,” she said. “It had a worldwide impact.”
Included in the exhibit are Prussian and French artifacts that highlight the ongoing war in Europe, along with British and Spanish materials that show the expansion of the war with Spain’s belated entry in 1762.
‘A WORLD WAR’
British forces pulled from the Champlain Valley joined other armies to capture Cuba from Spain in 1762.
“That’s we’re talking about with this exhibit,” Keagle said. “These soldiers are part of something much bigger taking place across the globe. It truly was a world war.”
The exhibit was years in the making, Keagle said.
“We had a broader set of artifacts to look at” in the Robert Nittolo Collection, he said. “We think about it years in advance, write a narrative that ties things together, do fundraising, then we work in-house to put in all together.”
EVOLVING EXHIBIT
Hill said the exhibit space is not static, but continuously evolving.
“It changes with the year,” she said. “It’s (an exhibit) developed years ahead. We give our visitors a lot of offerings. This is important work for future generations.”
Hill said Fort Ticonderoga’s daily programs will creatively explore the layers of 1760, including artillery and muskets through weapons demonstrations and programs, exhibits, gardens, and historic trades. There’s also musket and cannon firing every day.
Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Defiance are open for visitation Tuesday-Sunday until Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online in advance by visiting www.fortticonderoga.org or the day-of at the admission booth. General admission tickets are valid for two consecutive days.