Fort Henry (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Fort Henry was an English
frontier fort in 17th century colonial Virginia near the falls of the Appomattox River
. Its exact location has been debated, but the most popular one (marked by Virginia Historical Marker QA-6) is on a bluff about four blocks north of the corner of W. Washington and N. South Streets in modern-day Petersburg, Virginia
.
Fort Henry was built in 1645 by order of the House of Burgesses
. It marked the 1646 treaty frontier between the white settlers and the Native Americans following the Second Anglo-Powhatan War. It was situated near the Appomattoc
Indian tribe. It was the only point in Virginia where Indians could be authorized to cross eastward into white territory, or whites westward into Indian territory, from 1646 until around 1691.
An earlier, smaller fort also known as Fort Henry, with a garrison of 15, had been erected in 1610 by Thomas Gates
as part of a series of fortifications within modern Hampton, Virginia
; this was defunct by the time the fort on the Appomattox was built.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
frontier fort in 17th century colonial Virginia near the falls of the Appomattox River
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
. Its exact location has been debated, but the most popular one (marked by Virginia Historical Marker QA-6) is on a bluff about four blocks north of the corner of W. Washington and N. South Streets in modern-day Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
.
Fort Henry was built in 1645 by order of the House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
. It marked the 1646 treaty frontier between the white settlers and the Native Americans following the Second Anglo-Powhatan War. It was situated near the Appomattoc
Appomattoc
The Appomattoc were a historic tribe of Virginia Indians speaking an Algonquian language, and residing along the lower Appomattox River, in the area of what is now Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Chesterfield and Dinwiddie Counties in present-day southeast Virginia.The Appomattoc were affiliated...
Indian tribe. It was the only point in Virginia where Indians could be authorized to cross eastward into white territory, or whites westward into Indian territory, from 1646 until around 1691.
An earlier, smaller fort also known as Fort Henry, with a garrison of 15, had been erected in 1610 by Thomas Gates
Thomas Gates (governor)
Sir Thomas Gates , followed George Percy as governor of Jamestown, the English colony of Virginia . Percy, through inept leadership, was responsible for the lives lost during the period called the Starving Time...
as part of a series of fortifications within modern Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
; this was defunct by the time the fort on the Appomattox was built.