Fort York
| Fort York National Historic Site of Canada Lieu historique national du Canada Fort-York |
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 Lieu patrimonial du Canada |
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| Recognized since | May 25, 1923 |
| Type | National Historic Site |
| ID | 3677 |
| place | Toronto |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 38 ′ 20.5 " N , 79 ° 24 ′ 12" W |
| Recognized by | Government of Canada |
| Approved by | Historic Sites and Monuments Act |
| Entry Canadian List of Monuments | |
Fort York is a historic site of military fortifications and related buildings to the west of downtown Toronto ( Ontario , Canada ). The fort was built by the British Army and Canadian militia in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to defend the York settlement and the new capital of the British colony of Upper Canada from the threat of military attack, especially from the new to protect the independent United States .
history
In 1793, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe approved a garrison at what is now Fort York, just west of the mouth of Garrison Creek on the northeastern shore of Lake Ontario . Simcoe realized that because of its natural harbor and the great distance from the United States, this location was ideal for settlement and defense. At the time of the construction of Fort York, the western entrance of the bay was monitored from there as the only location. Simcoe had also decided to make York the capital of the Upper Canada colony. The first government buildings and parliament were erected a mile and a half east of the fort near what is now Parliament Street.
In the British-American War , also known as the War of 1812 , the fort was successfully attacked by superior US forces at the Battle of York on April 27, 1813. Parts of the fort and the settlement were destroyed by the US armed forces during the occupation lasting several days.
After the establishment of the Canadian Confederation , the fort was handed over to the Canadian armed forces in 1869, who used it until around 1880.
National Historic Site
In 1923, Fort York was declared a National Historic Site .
Web links
- Fort York on the Toronto City Museum website
- Website of the Friends of Fort York (English)