In the late 1600s the British and French were vying for control in the New World. Conflicts and wars ensued, with hostilities originating on European soil. From 1756 to 1763, the Seven Year War, which involved most European Nations, along with American colonies and India, took place. The American portion of the conflict has been called the French and Indian War. It is within this period, from 1755 to 1757, that Fort William Henry experienced its brief life.
In the mid-1700s, Fort William Henry was situated on a small hill at the southern end of Lake George. Lake George today is in upstate New York. Archaeological exploration began on the site in the 1950s. Dungeons and foundations from the original fort were uncovered. Today, the Fort William Museum is on the site, and the fort is open from May through October.
British Gen. William Johnson instigated the construction of Fort William Henry when he led 2,800 soldiers to the end of Lac Du Saint Sacrament (which would be renamed Lake George, in honor of the king) to build the fort. The French were at the northern end of the lake, and the new British fort was intended to counter the French presence. Battles with the French forces interrupted construction, but the fort was completed by the end of 1755.
France's Marquis de Montcalm marched a large force against the British fort in 1757. He had more than 5,000 French soldiers and more than 1,500 American Indians. The British in the fort under siege finally agreed to terms of surrender to the French. The Indians who fought with the French were not pleased with the terms, and while the British retreated from Fort William Henry to another British hold, the Indians attacked. Although Marquis de Montcalm attempted to gain control of the situation, it was futile.
According to the Fort William Museum, the exact number of lives lost during the conflict is unknown, although early estimates numbered 1,400 people killed or taken prisoner by the native forces. The French forces attempted to help rescue the British and to escort them to Fort Edward. Montcalm had Fort William Henry burned, and the French retrieved the last of the vegetables from its gardens. The site remained abandoned until modern times, when it was purchased by two businessmen for historic preservation.