American forces captured Fort Ticonderoga on May 10, 1775, in the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War.
A force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen, joined by Benedict Arnold and other colonial volunteers, surprised the fort’s small British garrison. The attack began before dawn, and the garrison surrendered with little fighting.
The fort stood on Lake Champlain, an important route between New York and Canada. Its capture gave the Americans artillery and a strategic base. During the following winter, Henry Knox directed the difficult transport of Ticonderoga’s guns to Boston.
Fort Ticonderoga is sometimes mixed up with nearby Fort Crown Point, which was captured the next day. The two actions were separate, although both helped secure the Lake Champlain corridor for the revolutionary cause.