Fort George is a colonial

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

which was erected on the northeast edge of

Road Town Road Town, located on Tortola, is the capital of the British Virgin Islands. It is situated on the horseshoe-shaped Road Harbour in the centre of the island's south coast. The population was about 15,000 in 2018. The name is derived from the na ...

Tortola Tortola () is the largest and most populated island of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. It has a surface area of with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents in ...

in the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

above Baugher's Bay. The site is now a ruin. The original structure is believed by some to have been built at an unascertained date by the original Dutch settlers of the islands to protect slave pens that were built in Port Purcell below. It is likely that the initial structure was built in response to a massacre of the inhabitants of the original settlement in Baugher's Bay in 1625. However, the main fortification was built (or rebuilt) by the British in the late 18th century around the outbreak of the

American war of independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

as part of the general upgrade of the fortifications of Road Town. The fort was named (or renamed) after

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

. Fort George formed part of a formidable defensive network of forts around Road Town at this time, including the eponymous Road Town Fort (under what is now the site of the Boungainvillea clinic),

Fort Burt Fort Burt is a colonial fort that was erected on the southwest edge of Road Town, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands above Road Reef Marina. The site is now a hotel and restaurant of the same name, and relatively little of the original stru ...

above Road Reef on the south west side of the harbour, and Fort Charlotte set high above on Harrigan's Hill. Fort George never actually engaged in combat after restoration by the British. The combination of the formidable martial defences of Road Town, and relatively small strategic and economic importance of Tortola persuaded both foreign

colonial powers Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

and

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

s and

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

s alike to focus on other targets within the region. Today the remains of the fort are barely recognisable. Despite being featured in the British Virgin Island government'
promotional website
the remains of the Fort are on private land, to which there is no public access. The property has a house on it, which is rented, and access to the site depends upon the goodwill of the incumbent tenants. the remains are predominantly used as storage.

External links

The BVI's formidable forts

Footnotes

{{coord, 18.426, -64.607, type:landmark_region:VG, display=title George, Fort History of the British Virgin Islands Ruins in the British Virgin Islands Buildings and structures in Road Town

See also

External links

Footnotes