Fort Loudoun on the Tanasee River Projected and Constructed by de Brahm
This primary source is a black-and-white photographic plate that presents cartographer and engineer William Gerard de Brahm's plan for Fort Loudoun, along with a profile (the elevation or ground-level view) of the completed structure as he envisioned it.
Fort Loudoun was an early colonial fort located on the banks of the Little Tennessee River near the Cherokee capital of "Chota" in present-day Monroe County, TN. Constructed in 1756-57 during the French and Indian War, the fort was intended to be a self-sufficient military outpost for the British on the western frontier. It was named in honor of John Campbell, the Earl of Loudoun and commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America at the time of the fort's construction.
In March 1760, the Cherokee laid siege to the fort cutting off outside supplies. In the summer of 1760, the British garrison abandoned the fort and attempted to go to South Carolina. The Cherokee attacked, killing the soldiers and taking the fort. Three officers, 23 soldiers and three women were killed. The garrison and fort were lost but had served their original mission of keeping the Cherokees from supporting the French cause in the early years of the war.
This source meets the 4.03 and 8.13 Tennessee social studies standards.
Discussion Questions:
- What were the causes and consequences of the French and Indian War?
- What was Fort Loudoun's role in the French and Indian War?
- Who attacked Fort Loudoun and why?
- What were the long-term effects of the attack on Fort Loudoun?
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