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Fort Pitt: A Frontier History
Learn more about a key military bastion of the American Revolution and guard of the Western frontier, Pittsburgh, through this illustrated history.
For nearly half a century, Fort Pitt stood at the forks of the great Ohio River. A keystone to British domination in the territory during the French and Indian War and Pontiac's Rebellion, it was the most technologically advanced fortification in the Western Hemisphere. Early Patriots later seized the fort, and it became a rallying point for the fledgling Revolution. Guarding the young settlement of Pittsburgh, Fort Pitt was the last point of civilization at the edge of the new American West. With vivid detail, historian Brady Crytzer traces the full history of Fort Pitt, from empire outpost to a bastion on the frontlines of a new republic.
For nearly half a century, Fort Pitt stood at the forks of the great Ohio River. A keystone to British domination in the territory during the French and Indian War and Pontiac's Rebellion, it was the most technologically advanced fortification in the Western Hemisphere. Early Patriots later seized the fort, and it became a rallying point for the fledgling Revolution. Guarding the young settlement of Pittsburgh, Fort Pitt was the last point of civilization at the edge of the new American West. With vivid detail, historian Brady Crytzer traces the full history of Fort Pitt, from empire outpost to a bastion on the frontlines of a new republic.
- GenresHistory
195 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2012
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45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 26, 2019
Everyone should take the time to explore their home town as if they were a tourist and to study the local history in depth. I worked directly across the street from Point State Park for 35 years and visited all of the historic sites discussed in this book, but never bothered to truly learn the whole story until now.
March 21, 2023
I liked this book so much I bought it before I finished it.
As a native western Pennsylvanian who moved to the "Ohio country," this book covered many of the places that I know and love. The names of places echo the characters found in these stories. Crytzer did an amazing job of explaining relevance in the opening of the book, then covering the history with just the right balance of detail and movement.
This is an excellent book for folks interest in Pittsburgh history, of course, but it's great for US history overall. The "Forks of the Ohio" were significant to 18th century shaping of America. Crytzer does a good job of explaining that significance without over-selling the location in the larger national narrative. Western Pennsylvania was both a battleground as well a meeting place between Native Americans, French, and British throughout the 18th century. This book describes that connection point with admirable depth and brevity.
I will reread this book myself I am sure. I would recommend this to all scholars of early US history, but particularly those with a regional interest. Connections between Natives and American settlers are evident throughout the book. The biographical focus of the chapters gives a nice thematic approach while still developing the story of the fort and the region in a chronological narrative.
This is an excellent book with solid writing and admirable research. My only regret is that I didn't read it a decade ago.
As a native western Pennsylvanian who moved to the "Ohio country," this book covered many of the places that I know and love. The names of places echo the characters found in these stories. Crytzer did an amazing job of explaining relevance in the opening of the book, then covering the history with just the right balance of detail and movement.
This is an excellent book for folks interest in Pittsburgh history, of course, but it's great for US history overall. The "Forks of the Ohio" were significant to 18th century shaping of America. Crytzer does a good job of explaining that significance without over-selling the location in the larger national narrative. Western Pennsylvania was both a battleground as well a meeting place between Native Americans, French, and British throughout the 18th century. This book describes that connection point with admirable depth and brevity.
I will reread this book myself I am sure. I would recommend this to all scholars of early US history, but particularly those with a regional interest. Connections between Natives and American settlers are evident throughout the book. The biographical focus of the chapters gives a nice thematic approach while still developing the story of the fort and the region in a chronological narrative.
This is an excellent book with solid writing and admirable research. My only regret is that I didn't read it a decade ago.
December 21, 2021
As someone who is originally from the Pittsburgh area, it's actually nice to find a book that actually surprises me in more ways than one along with enhancing my knowledge of that area. Thus is the case with the well written "Fort Pitt: A Frontier History" by Brady J. Crytzer. The book goes through the history of this important fort which replaced Fort Duquense via the story of its commanding officers many of whom would have streets named after them in later years. What's also unique to this reader is how important the fort itself would play in keeping the peace with the Ohio Indians as well as how much of a launching point it would be at times to points west especially in the case of Fort Detroit. With Pittsburgh as a city owing its existence to the fort (the town grew up outside of it), this book is a good reminder of the importance of this area & why that city has been in existence for over 250 years.
August 12, 2021
I love the author's enthusiasm for the subject and I truly learned a lot. However, I do think this could have been a little better written- there were lots of typos and the picture choices were poor, often times just grainy shots of exhibits at the Fort Pitt Museum. Most of the time the pictures did not even relate to the information on that specific page and were distracting. Overall, however, the information was presented in fine manner.
May 22, 2018
Fort Pitt and Pittsburg
Great read from the time the British decided to built a fort, through the French construction, and finally the British build their Gibraltar in North America. Solid history, well told story. A good read.
Great read from the time the British decided to built a fort, through the French construction, and finally the British build their Gibraltar in North America. Solid history, well told story. A good read.
November 19, 2017
Good history well told. Unfortunately, the pages were spotted with typos. Written well but not edited well.
Still, if the subject interests, worth a read.
Still, if the subject interests, worth a read.
December 11, 2015
Like most people (I think), I am always a bit more inclined to read about familiar people and places. So, as a native of Western Pennsylvania, Fort Pitt was right up my alley.
But even if the subject matter wasn't so close to home (literally), I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more than the stock history that we've been fed about the American colonial period and war for independence. Mr. Crytzer does an outstanding job of describing the events and people that were essential in the building and maintenance of what was the largest, the most expensive, and (probably) the most critically situated fortification the British Empire built in North America.
Along the way, I learned some surprising things I never knew. I won't spoil the story, but, if you ever wanted to know why we call a dollar a "buck", Mr. Crytzer can enlighten you. And you'll also get to meet some of the people whose names are very familiar to the residents of Pittsburgh, even if their stories are not.
The sole weakness of this book is probably the lack of a comprehensive map. Mr. Crytzer tends to use contemporary geographical names — no complaint about that — and it would have been helpful to be able to easily refer back to a map to tell me where Hanna's Town is in relation to the forks of the Ohio. But this is a petty complaint and in no way detracts from the otherwise excellent telling of a story that is both familiar and unfamiliar.
But even if the subject matter wasn't so close to home (literally), I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more than the stock history that we've been fed about the American colonial period and war for independence. Mr. Crytzer does an outstanding job of describing the events and people that were essential in the building and maintenance of what was the largest, the most expensive, and (probably) the most critically situated fortification the British Empire built in North America.
Along the way, I learned some surprising things I never knew. I won't spoil the story, but, if you ever wanted to know why we call a dollar a "buck", Mr. Crytzer can enlighten you. And you'll also get to meet some of the people whose names are very familiar to the residents of Pittsburgh, even if their stories are not.
The sole weakness of this book is probably the lack of a comprehensive map. Mr. Crytzer tends to use contemporary geographical names — no complaint about that — and it would have been helpful to be able to easily refer back to a map to tell me where Hanna's Town is in relation to the forks of the Ohio. But this is a petty complaint and in no way detracts from the otherwise excellent telling of a story that is both familiar and unfamiliar.
August 17, 2014
A good history of the fort that defines my home city.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews