Hudson River Chain - Background

Background

Both the Americans and British knew that passage on the Hudson River was strategically important to the war effort. Americans worked to devise plans to slow or block ship passage on the river, planning to attack enemy ships by cannons and mortar located at existing defensive forts or those to be constructed. It eventually constructed such obstacles across the river at northern Manhattan, between forts Washington and Lee in 1776; at the newly constructed Fort Montgomery on the West Bank on Popolopen Creek in 1776–1777 south of West Point; a partially completed one at Pollepel Island in 1776–1777 north of West Point; and the Great Chain (1778–1782) at West Point. The largest and most important project was the latter chain at West Point, which was reset each spring until the end of the war. Attention was concentrated on the West Point area because the river narrowed there, and curved so sharply that, together with winds, tides and current, ships already had to slow to navigate the passage. Creating more obstructions on the river would enable the shore batteries to work their cannons against the enemy.