Fort Prince Frederick Along The River

Featured: The Meandering Photographer 3/20/2024

Fort Prince Frederick was the southernmost fort in British North America from 1726 to 1758.... more

by Lisa Wooten

Title

Fort Prince Frederick Along The River

Artist

Lisa Wooten

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

Featured: The Meandering Photographer 3/20/2024

Fort Prince Frederick was the southernmost fort in British North America from 1726 to 1758. Initially constructed of logs, it was later improved with tabby walls, which were completed in 1733.[1] After the founding of Georgia on February 12, 1733 several other forts were constructed farther south, including Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island, diminishing the strategic importance of Fort Frederick.[2] The fort is located in Port Royal, South Carolina.South Carolina was the southernmost colony in British North America until the founding of Georgia in 1733. Fort Frederick was located near the southern tip of the colony on Port Royal Sound, one of the deepest natural harbors on the east coast of the continent. Control of the sound was essential in the geopolitical context of Spanish claims to the area and French interest in expanding eastward from the Lower Mississippi. The fort also protected the town of Beaufort, founded in 1711. Beaufort was the second settlement in the Province of Carolina after the founding of its capital, Charles Town (now Charleston) in 1670. Rice production and trade with Native Americans tied to the Atlantic triangular trade had made the region prosperous. The rice plantations of coastal South Carolina (the South Carolina Lowcountry) made Charles Town one of the wealthiest cities in America. Fort Frederick, however, became obsolete with a strong military presence in the Province of Georgia under the command of James Oglethorpe. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources provides this description of the fort: A relatively small fort, it measures 125 feet by 75 feet with an obvious bastion on the southwest side. The eastern wall was lined with a battery and cannon. The interior of the fort held a barracks and a magazine and was garrisoned by an independent Company of Foot British Regulars until their transfer to Georgia in 1736. A historic plaque mounted on a stone pedestal stands prominently in what appears to be an old fort or park setting with expansive grassy areas. In the background, an ancient tree draped with Spanish moss adds a serene, Southern Gothic ambience to the scene. Wikipedia

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March 19th, 2024