America’s little-known castles, displaying ‘raw power,’ are hiding in plain sight
Historian Dan Jones says American fortifications and grand estates belong in the wider history of castles, a story spanning 3,000 years. His new book traces structures from ancient hillforts to Cold War bunkers, showing how castles have served both as defences and as displays of wealth and power.
The article highlights Fort Sumter, where Confederate forces fired on Union troops in April 1861, beginning the Civil War, and Fort Pulaski, which rifled cannons breached within 48 hours in 1862. It also names Hearst Castle, Biltmore and Belcourt as wealthy Americans’ castle-like homes, and Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, built in 1955, as evidence of castles’ lasting appeal.
In short
- American forts are part of the global history of castles.
- Fort Pulaski was breached by rifled cannons in 48 hours.
- Grand estates used castle imagery to display wealth and power.