U.S. Military Academy established
The United States Military Academythe first military school in the United Statesis founded by Congress for the purpose of educating and training young men in the theory and practice of military science.Located at West Point New York the U.S.Military Academy is often simply known as West Point.Located on the high west bank of New Yorks Hudson River West Point was the site of a Revolutionary-era fort built to protect the Hudson River Valley from British attack.
In 1780 Patriot General Benedict Arnold the commander of the fort agreed to surrender West Point to the British in exchange for 6000 pounds.However the plot was uncovered before it fell into British hands and Arnold fled to the British for protection.Ten years after the establishment of the U.S.Military Academy in 1802 the growing threat of another war with Great Britain resulted in congressional action to expand the academys facilities and increase the West Point corps.
Beginning in 1817 the U.S.Military Academy was reorganized by superintendent Sylvanus Thayerlater known as the father of West Pointand the school became one of the nations finest sources of civil engineers.During the Mexican-American War West Point graduates filled the leading ranks of the victorious U.S.
forces and with the outbreak of the Civil War former West Point classmates regretfully lined up against one another in the defense of their native states.In 1870 the first African-American cadet was admitted into the U.S.Military Academy and in 1976 the first female cadets.The academy is now under the general direction and supervision of the department of the U.S.
Army and has an enrollment of more than 4000 students.
