The fort had been built by the British in 1758 at a strategic site along the water route from Lake Ontario to the Hudson River.

[5] In 1768, Fort Stanwix was the site of an important treaty conference between the British and the Iroquois, arranged by William Johnson.

The purpose of the conference was to renegotiate the boundary line between Native American lands and white settlements set forth in the Proclamation of 1763.

The British government hoped a new boundary line might bring an end to the rampant frontier violence, which had become costly and troublesome.

Demoralized and reduced in strength, the British withdrew when they heard reports of the approach of yet another relief column, led by General Benedict Arnold.

[citation needed] The British failure to capture the fort and proceed down the Mohawk Valley was a severe setback and helped lead to the defeat of General John Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga.

[citation needed] In April 1779, an expedition from Fort Schuyler against the Onondaga people was begun by the Continental Army led by Col.

[10] The Park Service completed a master plan for Fort Stanwix in 1967, and in 1970, the NPS began a three-year archaeological investigation.

Reconstruction of the fort began in 1974, and the partially completed structure was opened to the public in time for the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976.

More recently, third-person interpretation has extended visitor understanding to the French and Indian War as well as the role played by the fort during the negotiation of a series of treaties with Native Americans.