West Point was established as the first United States Military Academy in 1802 located along the Hudson River in New York. It was considered an important strategic location by General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The Academy was created to reduce America's reliance on foreign engineers and artillery experts during times of war by training their own as recommended by Washington. It became the oldest continuously occupied military post in America and helped train many generals on both sides of the Civil War such as Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant.

1. West Point
By Fady Makram and Amr Ibrahim

2. Origins of West Point
• West Point was considered one of the most
important strategic places in America.
• General George Washington told Thaddeus
Kosciuszko to design its fortifications.
• West Point is the oldest continuously occupied
military post in America.
• Fortress West Point was never captured by the
British

3. • It started off with a strict civil engineering
curriculum.
• George Washington proposed that it
should focus on the arts and sciences of
military warfare.
• 20 years later, President Thomas
Jefferson signed legislation establishing
USMA.
• He made sure that West Point students
were of a democratic society.

4. Reasons for its Existence
• West Point was designed to reduce America’s
reliance on engineers and artillerists during
times of war.
• “A Peace Establishment for the United States of America may in my
opinion . . . [include] Academies, one or more for the Instruction of
the Art Military; particularly those Branches of it which respect
Engineering and Artillery, which are highly essential, and the
knowledge of which is most difficult to obtain.”
—George Washington, “Sentiments on a Peace Establishment,”
May 1783
• The Academy was also created because the US
was, at nature, a nation of war.

5. • Soon, its graduates began to command
armies on both sides of the Civil War.
• General Robert E. Lee of the South was
one of its graduates.
• General Ulysses S. Grant of the North was
also a graduate of West Point.
• Colonel Sylvanus Thayer upgraded its
academic standards.
• He also instilled military discipline and
honorable conduct.