NEW YORK — Renowned filmmaker Ken Burns will receive the highest honor bestowed by The Fort Ticonderoga Association when he is conferred The Ticonderoga Award for a Continental Vision at the 32nd annual Ticonderoga Ball tonight at The Union League Club of New York City.
Burns has been a filmmaker for nearly 50 years. Most recently, he co-directed, with Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, “The American Revolution,” a six-part, 12-hour PBS series on America’s founding struggle.
Fort Ticonderoga’s nationally recognized historic interpretive program, along with the 2,000-acre preserved site on the shore of Lake Champlain, served as a key filming location for hours of original footage in the series. The fort itself and its surrounding grounds, landscape and waters assisted Burns’ team in depicting numerous North American locations for the film, in addition to the historic events that occurred at and around Fort Ticonderoga.
The bestowal of The Ticonderoga Award for a Continental Vision reflects the shared commitment to the defense of liberty by Continental Army soldiers in 1776.
Burns’ lifelong work to share and expand knowledge of our nation’s history mirrors a similar commitment to join Americans together in a common cause, connecting the lessons of the past with the continued pursuit of the ideal.
“It’s such a tremendous honor to receive The Ticonderoga Award,” Burns said in a statement. “Fort Ticonderoga is an iconic part of the American landscape and critical piece of our national history. We’re hugely appreciative for all the Association did to help us with our film on the American Revolution. And I’m greatly appreciative as a filmmaker focused on the history of our country for what the Fort Ticonderoga Association does to preserve this history and help educate future generations of Americans about what our ancestors did to secure our freedoms.”
Burns’ and his colleagues’ work at Fort Ticonderoga served the broader purpose for “The American Revolution” series, exploring the complex realities of the war and its many perspectives while highlighting key moments and pivotal figures who waged war against the British empire.
“It is a profound honor to present The Ticonderoga Award for a Continental Vision to Ken Burns,” Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO Beth L. Hill said in a press release. “Ken has an unparalleled ability to weave the disparate threads of our past into a singular, breathtaking tapestry that reflects the complexity and spirit of our nation.
“Much like the fort itself, Ken’s work stands as a monumental bridge between eras. By chronicling the struggles and triumphs that have shaped our nation, he has provided generations with a ‘continental vision,’ one that captures not just where we have been, but who we are as a people. We are thrilled to celebrate his extraordinary contributions to American storytelling and historical preservation.”
The 2025 premiere of “The American Revolution” coincided with the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the American Revolution, when the Continental Army’s first victory occurred at Fort Ticonderoga, captured by Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys on May 10, 1775. Later in 1775, Fort Ticonderoga served as the springboard for Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery, delivering 60 tons of Fort Ticonderoga’s cannon and mortars to George Washington’s army in Boston.