The United States Military Academy at West Point, on the Hudson River in New York, is the oldest of the American service academies. It was founded by an act of Congress signed by President Thomas Jefferson in 1802, on a site that had been a strategic fortress during the Revolutionary War and was the scene of Benedict Arnold's attempted betrayal. The academy was reformed in the 1810s by Sylvanus Thayer, called the father of the academy, who stressed engineering and discipline. Its graduates include Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Dwight Eisenhower and many other generals. It trains cadets to become officers in the United States Army.
Before and after
- 8 March 1801Second Battle of Abukir
- from 13 June 1801 to 14 July 1801Algeciras Campaign
- 6 July 1801First Battle of Algeciras
- 1802Discovery of tantalum
- 16 March 1802Construction of United States Military Academy
- 25 March 1802Treaty of Amiens
- 24 July 1802Birth of Alexandre Dumas
- 1803Discovery of rhodium
- 1803Discovery of palladium
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1792Publication of La Marseillaise
- 7 May 1824Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premieres
- 26 November 1865Publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- 1871The Internationale
- 19 March 1882Construction of Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family
- from 1886 to 1905Rise of Post-impressionism
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.