Forty Fort was a stronghold built by settlers from Westmoreland County, Connecticut, on the Susquehanna River in

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

. During the

American Revolutionary War 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 ...

, both Connecticut and Pennsylvania claimed this territory, as Connecticut laid claim to a wide swath of land to its west based on its colonial charter. These competing claims were settled by exchanges and agreements with resolution by the national government after the United States gained independence. This fort became a refuge for displaced settlers during the

Battle of Wyoming The Battle of Wyoming, also known as the Wyoming Massacre, was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War between Patriot militiamen and a mixed force of Loyalist soldiers and Iroquois raiders. The clash took place in the Wyom ...

in 1778. Zebulon Butler's force of Continental and allied Indians was defeated by the far larger force of Loyalists and their Indian allies.

References

{{reflist Forts in Pennsylvania American Revolutionary War forts Buildings and structures in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 1770 establishments in Pennsylvania History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania