Fort George

Over the history of the city, buildings located at this spot have served three functions:

1     Fort for Dutch and British to defend against hostile outsiders (Indians French, etc.) 

               * Here is where Peter Stuyvesant surrendered the city to the British, who renamed it Fort George in honor of King. 

               * Not surprisingly, the fort became a symbol for colonists’ anger during Stamp Act riots in 1765. 

               * In 1783, the British surrendered the city to Washington here – so we can see both the start and end of British rule at this spot.

2   The 2^nd function of site was as the Federal Customs House for the port in later 1800s. Here the national government regulated imports in era of booming international trade in a time when the city’s economy was mostly ocean-going trade.

3   Today, there is a 3^rd (and ironic) function of the building: as home of the Museum of the American Indian. Does anyone see the irony?