Pre-1900
Alamo
The battle of the Alamo was a crucial event in the Texas Revolution that took place Feb 23- March 6, 1836. This battle has since been a large part of American history. Read more on The Alamo.
Brimstone Hill Fortress- St. Kitts (West Indies)
The Brimstone Hill Fortress was first built by the British in 1690 from African slave workers. It was built primarily to recapture Fort Charles on the coast below from French occupation. In 1782 the French soldiers attacked this island and regained control of St. Kitts. Finally when the Treaty of Versailles was issued, the island was given back to the British and fortifications were continued until 1794. In 1852, British troops were reassigned and the Fortress was abandoned.
The Great Wall of China
This well known tourist attraction is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, wood, and other materials stretching east to west approximately 5,500 miles. The most famous portion of the wall was built by Qin Shi Huang (the first Emperor of China) between 220-206 BC; little of this section of the wall remains. The majority of the wall that we see today is from the Ming Dynasty. The purposes of the wall were for not only border control, but also for the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road. The construction of watch towers and troop barracks allowed for the wall to act as a defense mechanism. Read more on The Great Wall of China.
The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square
Built during the Ming dynasty towards the end of the Qing dynasty from 1406-1420, these 180 acres of land have influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia ever since. Tiananmen Square is one the largest and best-known city squares in the world, Tiananmen Square is hands down the focal point of Beijing. Read more on The Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square.
