Fort Montagu

When Governor John Tinker arrived in 1741, he discovered that the island had only one fort (Fort Nassau). He realized that one fort wasn't enough defense, so he had military engineer Peter Henry Bruce build a second fort on the island's eastern end. The fort's construction began in 1741 and was completed in 1742. The fort is formed of limestone and contained 23 cannons and about 95 barrels of gunpowder when it was erected.

Fort Montagu, on New Providence Island, was completed in 1742 and is located immediately east of downtown Nassau. This is considered as one of the most beautiful historical sites in the Bahamas The fort was named after the Duke of Montague by John Tinker, the British governor of the Bahamas colony at the time. The fort, which looks out over Montague Bay and Paradise Island, has its own colorful past. In the first American amphibious attack in history, American naval troops took the fort in March 1776. Spanish soldiers reclaimed the fort six years later, but it was recaptured in 1783 by forces headed by Colonel Andrew Deveaux of the South Carolina Militia.

Fun Fact: In 1776, eight US Marine Corps ships arrived at Fort Montagu to seize a huge amount of gunpowder that the British had stockpiled there. The Bahamian militia fled, despite the lack of gunpowder, and the US Marines took Fort Montagu. It was the first successful operation for the US Marine Corps.

Location: Fort Montagu, E Bay St, Bahamas