a National Historic Site and one of 21 homes in the United States deemed significant to the American Revolution .
Great Britain attempted to destroy Machias in revenge for the capture of HMS Margaretta . The Patriots , with the aid of Passamaquoddy , Maliseet , and Penobscot warriors , harassed and attacked the British , forcing their retreat . A living history group in the Machias area re-enacts the Battle of the Rim , including several ancestors of actual battle participants .
Fort Knox - During the country ’ s infancy , Maine was repeatedly involved in northeast border disputes with British Canada . The area between Castine and Bangor was invaded and occupied by the British during the American Revolution and the War of 1812 . Fort Knox was established in 1844 to protect the Penobscot River Valley against a possible future British naval incursion . Fort Knox is one of the best-preserved military fortifications on the New England seacoast and has many unique architectural features . Photo by Travel To Blank .
The “ Penobscot Expedition ‘’ as it is known was one of the greatest naval defeats in American history . Poor coordination , bickering commanders , inadequate training , and inexplicable delay allowed the British to defend the fort and inflict a humiliating defeat on their opponents , whose troops and ships were sent scurrying up the Penobscot River . Among those involved in the defeat was the Boston silversmith Paul Revere , whose uncooperative behavior and poor relations with the commanding officers led many to seek his censure by court martial .
The British stayed at Fort George in Castine until 1784 . Up until then many Loyalists had moved here to seek the protection of the British forces , expecting that the Penobscot River would be the boundary between the new United States and British North America . However , under the treaty negotiated between Great Britain and the United States , the boundary was set at the St . Croix River , some 200 miles north . Many Loyalists dismantled their homes and transported them north on ships , where they helped to establish the town of St . Andrews in New Brunswick .
Eastport was a center of extensive two-way smuggling during the Embargo Act ( 1807-1809 ) imposed by President Thomas Jefferson . Fort Sullivan was erected atop a village hill but was captured by a British fleet under command of Sir Thomas Hardy during the War of 1812 .
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