GRENADA’S HISTORIC FORTS

10/09/2024|Family Tree Nuts|, , , ,

This Caribbean fort faces backwards, away from the sea! It was started by the French, finished by the British, and it’s strategic location prevented the island of Grenada from ever being sacked again. It is one of the few forts in the world that has never fired a shot in anger. Just beside this fort is another fort that was once used as a mental institution, but now lays in ruins from being blasted by the U.S. Military in the 1983 invasion known as Operation Urgent Fury. In this video I’ll show you the sights and tell you the history of these two magnificent Caribbean fortresses.

Fort Frederick above St. George, Grenada faces “backwards” inland to protect the city from rear attack.

Recently visited these historic forts in Grenada, in the Caribbean, and I wanted to show you the sights, and share the story with all of you. At Family Tree Nuts, we build family trees for clients that either don’t know how, don’t have the time, or don’t want to pay those expensive membership fees. We’d love to honor your ancestors for you. We also make history videos all over the United States, and a few countries, so if you like videos like these, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

View from Fort Frederick overlooking the city of St. George, Grenada.

Now back to the forts. The French first settled on the island of Grenada, in 1650, and held dominion over it for one hundred and thirteen years until it was surrendered to the British in the Treaty of Paris in 1763. This treaty ended the Seven Years War, or what we refer to in the United States as the French and Indian War. Sixteen years later, in 1779, the French made plans to retake the island. Now, Caribbean assaults of the time almost always involved a naval bombardment with a landing force, which was usually Marines Ooh-Rah, hitting the beach to finish up the attack. The harbor and capital city of St. George was protected by Fort George which was strong bastion of defense. The French were very familiar with the topography of the island and formulated a plan to land their forces a few miles from the city on a beach called Dragons Bay. From here they hit the jungles and circled back around to attack the city where it did not have any defenses. The British were caught by total surprise and plan was very effective and successful.

The main gate at Fort Fredrick, overlooking St. George, Grenada.

After taking Grenada back under control, the French realized that they wouldn’t have been able to take the island if there had been defenses built on the ridge above the city called Hospital Hill. They immediately began construction on Fort Frederick. Unlike almost all fort defenses of coastal cities, this fort faced inland to prevent a rear attack.

In 1783, The Treaty of Versailles returned Grenada back to the British from the French. This is the same treaty that gave the United States its independence, the Bahamas back to the British, Florida back to Spanish control and other territorial changes. The British took over on the construction of the fort and finished it in 1791. Due to its strategic location Grenada’s defenses were not tested again and it is one of the few forts in the world that has never fired a shot in anger. Today it is a location with an amazing vantage point of St. George and the island.

View of the city of St. George, Grenada, from Fort Frederick.

A side story from the area is that it was once the location of the San Souci Estate, a planation that Henry Christophe was once enslaved at. Christophe escaped the plantation and stowed away off the island. He soon found himself in Haiti, and eventually became it’s ruler. He was the only King of Haiti. 

Just about one hundred yards away stands Fort Matthew. Well, I should say the ruins of Saint Matthew. The fort was built from 1784-1790 and is the largest fort on the island. It was named after Edward Matthew who was the governor of Grenada during its construction.

The jungle is retaking the ruins of Fort Matthew in St. George, Grenada.

Fort Matthew was known for its tunnels that connect to different parts of the fort. Those tunnels were the reason for a tragedy that happened here in modern day. In 1880, the fort was turned into a mental institution for patients from all over the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. During Operation Urgent Fury, in 1983, the United States military invaded Grenada in an effort to bring back order to the island and to keep Marxist ideology from spreading to other parts of the Caribbean. One story states that the U.S. hit the wrong target and another story states that the U.S. had heard that enemy leaders were hiding in the tunnels and launched an attack with helicopters. Eighteen civilians were killed in this attack that had been housed in the mental institution here. When you visit Fort Matthew you can imagine how it once looked and the history that took place on this spot for the last quarter millennia.

Some of the ruins of Fort Matthew, in St. George, Grenada.

Being able to visit ruins like this is a real treat for historians like me. If this fort was in the United States, everything would be extremely controlled for safety and we wouldn’t be able to wander where ever we pleased and take in the history here. There are so many shots that I want to show you here, so I’m going to shut up for a bit and just show you the sights.

Some of the passageway tunnels under Fort Matthew, above St. George Grenada.

So now we know the story of these historic Caribbean forts. What do you think? Did you know that this historical treasures existed? What are your thoughts about the events that happened here? Have you ever been here, or do you now plan to visit? We’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments below. Also, be sure to see our other two videos from Grenada, and our Caribbean history video playlist! We are proud to share this history with all of you. Be sure to see the video below.

– Col. Russ Carson, Jr., Founder, Family Tree Nuts