An early photograph of the cannons at West Point

The cannons at West Point facing the Hudson River, photographed in the 1880s.

West Point is the most famous military academy in the U.S. - and probably in the world. But as the history page of the academy tells us, the role of West Point in the history of the U.S. dates back to the Revolutionary War:

 General George Washington considered West Point to be the most important strategic position in America. Washington personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifications for West Point in 1778, and Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point in 1779. Continental soldiers built forts, batteries and redoubts and extended a 150-ton iron chain across the Hudson to control river traffic. Fortress West Point was never captured by the British, despite Benedict Arnold's treason. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.