Fort Niagara was built by the French in 1726 on land bought from the Seneca tribe. It stood on the eastern shore of the Niagara River and guarded a narrow passage which led to the rich fur lands west of the river. British forces captured the fort in 1759 during the French and Indian War. They used it during the Revolutionary War in America (1775-1783) as a starting point for raids against western settlers. Fort Niagara remained in British hands until 1796, when the Jay Treaty finally gave it to the United States. The British captured the fort again during the War of 1812. It remained in British hands until 1815.
Fort Little Niagara was the name of another fort in the same region. The French built this fort in 1751, and destroyed it during the French and Indian War to prevent the British from taking it.
