Mount Independence: A Fort on the Edge of Revolution
From the water, Mount Independence may not look like the key to a military campaign. The broad, rocky hill rises above the eastern shore of Lake Champlain in what is now Vermont. Yet during the American Revolution, thousands of soldiers worked there to defend a narrow passage that could help control movement between Canada and the Hudson River valley.
The story of Mount Independence is about more than a single battle. It shows how armies used geography, how much labor went into building a defense, and how a position that seemed strong could suddenly become vulnerable.
A route through the wilderness
In the 1770s, roads through the region were limited and difficult to travel. Lake Champlain offered a more practical route for moving soldiers and supplies between British-controlled Canada and areas farther south. At the southern end of the lake, waterways and short overland routes connected the region toward the Hudson River.
On the western shore of Lake Champlain stood Fort Ticonderoga, in present-day New York. Across the water, Mount Independence overlooked the same narrow stretch. An army that held both sides could place cannons where they threatened enemy boats and made passage more dangerous.
- vulnerable:
- Open to harm or attack.
- fortified:
- Strengthened with structures for defense.
- sanitation:
- Conditions and practices that keep places clean and protect health.
- obstruct:
- To block or make movement more difficult.
- summit:
- The highest point of a hill or mountain.
- withdrew:
- Moved away from a position.
- pursued:
- Followed in order to catch or attack.
- strategic:
- Important to a plan for reaching a goal.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How did geography make Mount Independence and Fort Ticonderoga important to the American defense?
- 2How do the soldiers' building tasks show that Mount Independence was more than a single fort?
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About this explanatory article passage for Middle School
“Mount Independence: A Fort on the Edge of Revolution” is a explanatory article reading passage about The American Revolution, written for Middle School. It takes about 6 minutes to read (958 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.