Before radar towers and satellite surveillance, America’s shores were watched over by massive coastal forts. Some were active for over a century, while others fizzled out before they ever fired a shot ...

To identify 14 of the oldest early American forts, encompassing fortifications that were built between 1775 and 1800, 24/7 consulted sources including the National Park Service and various state ...

Another fort, Fort Jackson, was built on top of it in 1814 during the Creek War. A replica was built of Fort Toulouse during the American Bicentennial in the mid-1970s, ...

The forts helped protect that vital source of fuel and food for the British military, which also knew that Long Island Sound was buzzing with American spies relaying information back and forth ...

American forces and a ragtag army cobbled together by Andrew Jackson had just defeated the British in Chalmette, and lessons learned dictated where the forts were built. But Louisiana is losing ...