- size 1.5" x 1"
On March 16, 1802, the Military Academy at West Point was founded.
Poised above the Hudson River, 50 miles north of New York City, West Point was first established as Fort Arnold, in 1778. The site was selected because of the unusual S-curve in the Hudson River below. steal, or tolerate those who do.”
Many West Pointers have left their mark on American history. They include Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George S. Patton, Jr., Dwight D. Eisenhower, John J. Pershing, Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, and H. Norman Schwarzkopf.
This 5¢ denomination of the 1936-37 Commemoratives showcases a fort built during the American Revolution by the Colonial Army. It was a key defense design to prevent British warships from sailing up the Hudson River and into New York’s interior. The fort was originally named after its first commander – Benedict Arnold. When Arnold switched his allegiance to the British, he offered to turn West Point over to the enemy. The capture of his British contact, Major John Andre, prevented the completion of the treachery, but Arnold fled to safety with the British Army. The fort later became the home of a U.S. military academy.