Many of them are National Historic Sites today, but in their time these forts were among the first footsteps of a westward-bound society. Illustrations of 44 historic forts range from sites in the northernmost reaches of the United States and Canada to El Morro, Puerto Rico's sixteenth-century citadel. Detailed captions accompany scenes from Fort McHenry, Fort Jamestown, Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Sumter, Plymouth Fort, Fort Laramie, and many other strongholds.