Fort de Chartres
- Illinois
photo: Wikipedia Commons
Why go there?
A great place to explore the history of France in America, Fort de Chartres State Historic Site features a reconstruction of the last of four forts named "de Chartres." The first was built in 1720, when France was the dominant colonizing force ranging from the Gulf of Mexico up into Canada. From 1753-1765 Fort de Chartres was the French seat of government for Upper Louisiana.
