Henry Knox
(1750-1806)
BIRTH
July 25, 1750
PLACE
Boston, Massachusetts
DEATH
October 25, 1806
PLACE
Thomaston, Maine
FAMILY
FATHER
William Knox
(1756-1795)
WIFE
Lucy Flucker Knox
(1756-1824)
CHILDREN
Caroline Flucker Knox
(1791–1851)
HOMES
Commander in Chief of the Continental Army
1783-1784
RELIGIOUS VIEWS
NOT YET RESEARCHED
NOT YET RESEARCHED
MEMBERSHIPS
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES FELLOW, SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI FOUNDER
AWARDS
Henry Knox, a Founding Father of the U.S., was a Boston bookseller who became a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, serving as chief of artillery in most of Washington's campaigns. Knox was also on the scene of the 1770 Boston Massacre. In 1785, the Congress of the Confederation appointed Knox as Secretary of War, where he dealt primarily with Indian affairs. He died in 1806, leaving an estate that was bankrupt.
EARLY LIFE
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Knox owned and operated a bookstore there, cultivating an interest in military history and joining a local artillery company. Knox was also on the scene of the 1770 Boston Massacre. Though barely 25 when the American Revolutionary Warbroke out in 1775, he engineered the transport of captured artillery from New York's Fort Ticonderoga, which proved decisive in driving the British out of Boston in early 1776. Knox quickly rose to become the chief artillery officer of the Continental Army.
In 1785, the Congress of the Confederation appointed Knox as Secretary of War, where he dealt primarily with Indian affairs. Following the adoption of the United States Constitution in 1789, he became President Washington's Secretary of War. In this role he oversaw the development of coastal fortifications, worked to improve the preparedness of local militia, and directed the nation's military operations in the Northwest Indian War.
He was formally responsible for the nation's relationship with the Indian population in the territories it claimed, articulating a policy that established federal government supremacy over the states in relation to Indian nations and called for treating Indian nations as sovereign. Knox's idealistic views on the subject were frustrated by ongoing illegal settlements and fraudulent land transfers of Indian lands. He retired to Thomaston, District of Maine in 1795, where he oversaw the rise of a business empire built on borrowed money. He died in 1806, leaving an estate that was bankrupt.
CAREER
DEATH
Knox died at his home on October 25, 1806, at the age of 56, three days after swallowing a chicken bone which lodged in his throat and caused a fatal infection. He was buried in the Thomaston Village Cemetery (Section 3, Lot 280, Row 24, Grave 1) in Thomaston with full military honors. Lucy Flucker died in 1824, having sold off more portions of the family properties to pay the creditors of Knox's then insolvent estate. The couple had three children that survived to adulthood. Their son, Henry Jackson Knox, became known as a wastrel for his drinking and scandalous behavior. Montpelier remained in the family until it was demolished in 1871, to make way for the Brunswick-Rockland railroad line. The only surviving structure is an outbuilding that was deeded to the Thomaston Historical Society upon its founding in 1972. Built with money raised by ladies of the DAR in 1929, the current Montpelier is an accurate reconstruction of this magnificent mansion not far from the site of the original and houses many of the original possessions of the Knox family. The General Henry Knox Museum is open to the public for guided tours from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Thomaston Village Cemetery
15 Erin St, Thomaston, ME 04861
GRAVE
MUSEUM
George Washington's Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Mount Vernon, VA 22121
MUSEUM
Colonial Williamsburg
101 Visitor Center Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185
MUSEUM
Fort Ticonderoga
102 Fort Ti Rd, Ticonderoga, NY 12883
MONUMENT
Federal Hall National Memorial
26 Wall St, New York, NY 10005
PARK
Yorktown Battlefield National Historical Park
1000 Colonial Nat'l Historical Pkwy, Yorktown, VA 23690
PARK
Valley Forge National Historic Park
1400 N Outer Line Dr, King of Prussia, PA 19406
MUSEUM
Old South Meeting House
310 Washington St, Boston, MA 02108
MUSEUM
Fraunces Tavern Museum
54 Pearl St 2nd floor, New York, NY 10004
MUSEUM
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters
105 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138
PARK
Washington's Crossing State Park
355 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd, Titusville, NJ 08560
PARK
Washington's Crossing Historic Park
1112 River Rd, Washington Crossing, PA 18977
MUSEUM
Ford Mansion – Washington’s Headquarters
30 Washington Pl, Morristown, NJ 07960
PARK
Boston Common
139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111
PARK
Jockey Hollow, Morristown Historical Park
586 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ
MUSEUM
Webb House Museum
211 Main St, Wethersfield, CT 06109
MUSEUM
Yorktown - Surrender Field
Historical Tour Road, Yorktown, Virginia, 23690, USA
MUSEUM
Jacob Purdy House
60 Park Ave, White Plains, NY 10601
MUSEUM
Van Wyck Homestead Museum
504 US-9, Fishkill, NY 12524
MUSEUM
Yorktown - Redoubt 10
Historical Tour Road, Yorktown, Virginia, 23690, USA
MONUMENT
Dorchester Heights Monument
95 G St, Boston, MA 02127
PARK
Cambridge Common
Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02163, USA
MONUMENT
Fort Washington Memorial
501 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10033
MARKER
Battle of Harlem Heights
478 Riverside Drive, New York, New York, 10027, USA
MARKER
Battle of Brooklyn Marker
Belt Parkway, New York, New York, 11209, USA
MARKER
General Henry Knox Trail Marker 2
11 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 01230, USA
MARKER
General Henry Knox Trail Marker
1 Prospect Lake Road, Egremont, Massachusetts, 01252, USA
MARKER
General Henry Knox Trail Marker 4
460 Main Rd, Monterey, MA 01245
MARKER
Henry Knox Marker MA-7
7-17 Main St, Westfield, MA 01085
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-15
1513 Hudson Ave, Stillwater, NY 12170
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-18
67 Main St, Northborough, MA 01532
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-17
5 Church Rd, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-23
144 Cochituate Road, Wayland, Massachusetts, 01778, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-24
356 Boston Post Road, Weston, Massachusetts, 02493, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-20
28 Main Street, Southborough, Massachusetts, 01772, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-8
48 State Route 9, Town of Lake George, New York, 12845, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-27
183 Roxbury St, Boston, MA 02119
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-27
State Route 66, Town of Ghent, New York, 12075, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-14
333 River Rd, Stillwater, NY 12170
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-7
Fort George Park Road, Town of Lake George, New York, 12845, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-2
489 Fort Road, Town of Ticonderoga, New York, 12883, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-28
Taconic State Parkway, Town of Ghent, New York, 42529, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-30
3 NY 71, Town of Hillsdale, New York, 12529, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-26
481 Mt Auburn St, Watertown, MA 02472
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-13
5 River St, Brookfield, MA 01506
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-6
4922 Lake Shore Dr, Bolton Landing, NY 12814
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-21
929 Worcester Rd #3, Framingham, MA 01701
MARKER
Henry Knox Marker MA-8
Main Street, West Springfield, Massachusetts, 01089, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Marker MA-5
114 Otis Stage Road, Blandford, Massachusetts, 01008, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Crossing Marker
Main Street, Village of Valatie, New York, 12184, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-25
966 Main St, Waltham, MA 02453
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-21
355 Northern Blvd, Albany, NY 12204
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-15
1136 MA-9, Leicester, MA 01524
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-12
531 Boston Post Road, Warren, Massachusetts, 01083, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-27
Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02163, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-12
100 Starks Knob Rd, Schuylerville, NY 12871
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-22
Quay Street, City of Albany, New York, 12246, USA
MARKER
Fort Washington Marker - Cambridge
95 Waverly St, Cambridge, MA 02139
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-20
206 Old Loudon Rd, Latham, NY 12110
MARKER
Henry Knox Marker MA-6
678 General Knox Road, Russell, Massachusetts, 01071, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-29
2 Main Street, Worcester, Massachusetts, 01608, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-19
1258 New Loudon Rd, Cohoes, NY 12047
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker MA-14
117 Main St, Spencer, MA 01562
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-9
Upper Glen Street, Town of Queensbury, New York, 12804, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-0
115 Grandview Dr, Crown Point, NY 12928
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-26
2 Broad Street, Village of Kinderhook, New York, 12106, USA
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-17
18 South Main St, Mechanicville, NY 12118
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-13
10 Broad St, Schuylerville, NY 12871
MARKER
Henry Knox Marker MA-10
6 Maple St, Wilbraham, MA 01095
MARKER
Henry Knox Marker MA-11
1 Wilbraham St, Palmer, MA 01069
MARKER
Henry Knox Trail Marker NY-1
102 Fort Ti Rd, Ticonderoga, NY 12883
MARKER
Henry Knox Marker MA-9
Spring Street, Springfield, Massachusetts, 01101, USA
MARKER
Four Chimneys Marker
5-1 Remsen St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
MARKER
General Henry Knox Trail Marker 3
1572–1574 East Otis Road, Otis, MA 01029, USA
MARKER
First Presidential Mansion Marker
Gold Street, New York, New York, 10038, USA
MARKER
Henry Know Trail Marker MA-19
231 Main St, Marlborough, MA 01752
MARKER, PARK
Before There Was A Park Marker
5th Avenue, New York, New York, 10035, USA
MARKER
Shrewsbury Minute Men Marker
5 Church Rd, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
MARKER
Wadsworth House Marker
1 Gold St APT 24K, Hartford, CT 06103
MARKER
Jacobus Vanderveer House Marker
995 US-202, Bedminster, NJ 07921
MARKER
Hessian Encampment Marker
Main Street, West Springfield, Massachusetts, 01089, USA
MARKER
Evacuation Day Marker
Evacuation Day Plaza, New York, New York, 10275, USA
MARKER
Store of Ephraim Kimball Marker
51 Commercial St, Fitchburg, MA 01420
POPULAR BIOGRAPHIES
1. Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution — Mark Puls. Find on Amazon
2. Henry Knox: General Washington's General — North Callahan. Find on Amazon
3. Henry Knox: A Soldier of the Revolution — Noah Brooks. [Early biography] Find on Amazon
4. Henry Knox's Noble Train: The Story of a Boston Bookseller's Heroic Expedition That Saved the American Revolution — William Hazelgrove. [Biographical history of the artillery expedition] Find on Amazon
5. The Department of War, 1781–1795 — Harry M. Ward. [Study of his administration] Find on Amazon
100609