Known more officially as the United States Military Academy at West Point, this army installation has a rich and treasured past and remains an important part of the United States Army. The Continental Army first set-up in 1778. Over the next two years, Tadeusz Kosciuszko a Polish military hero and engineer. The fort proved very helpful in fighting the British. West Point is infamous for being the army base that Benedict Arnold attempted to sell to the British. After his betrayal, the location was renamed Fort Clinton. The United States Military Academy was established on site in 1802 and quickly became an important part of the US military.
After the Civil War, which was won by many West Point graduates, fame surrounding the military academy continued to grow. However, it wasn't until 1868 that the first former confederate soldiers were allowed in. It wasn't until a few years after that that the first black officers were trained at the location. While it had always had small classes that taught the best of the best, student numbers grew during World War 2 and the Cold War both. Today, West Point continues to train some of the very best in the US military.