Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
United States Military Academy
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
United States Military Academy West Point in the 1780s.In 1795 George Washington called for a national academy to train military officers. West Point, a military fortress during the American Revolution, was the site chosen. Benedict Arnold and John André
Know about the academic program of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Sylvanus Thayer Medal Sylvanus Thayer Medal officer cadets Dwight D. Eisenhower as a U.S. Military Academy graduate Cadets on parade at the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. United States Military Academy
For Students
United States Military Academy summary
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Discover
Artist interpretation of a Space meteoroid impact. Meteor impact. Asteroid, End of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Planet Earth, Doomsday Predictions, comet
10 Failed Doomsday Predictions
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
Submerged sperm whale off east Sri Lanka coast, mammal
How Did the Sperm Whale Get Its Name?
Marriage. A couple getting married during a church wedding ceremony. (religion, ceremony, bride, groom)
The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic church
Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.
7 Deadliest Weapons in History
July, 2006, Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery STS-121. See attached for full caption information.
Will Light-Speed Space Travel Ever Be Possible?
Mona Lisa, oil on wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503-06; in the Louvre, Paris, France. 77 x 53 cm.
Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?

United States Military Academy: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/United-States-Military-Academy
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

President Trump to deliver commencement addresses for University of Alabama and West Point • Apr. 22, 2025, 3:16 AM ET (USA Today)
Army and Air Force libraries are ordered to review books for DEI material • Apr. 16, 2025, 12:15 PM ET (AP)
West Point graduate becomes the first woman to compete in the grueling Army Ranger contest • Apr. 15, 2025, 12:02 PM ET (AP)
Maya Angelou memoir, Holocaust book are among those pulled from Naval Academy library in DEI purge • Apr. 4, 2025, 9:42 PM ET (AP)
Naval Academy removes nearly 400 books from library in new DEI purge ordered by Hegseth's office • Apr. 1, 2025, 10:27 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As West Point Academy
Date March 16, 1802 - present
Areas Of Involvement higher education
Notable Alumni Red Blaik • John J. Pershing • Cyrus B. Comstock • Geoffrey Keyes • Fitz-John Porter • Frank Borman • Dwight D. Eisenhower • Robert E. Lee • George Patton • George Armstrong Custer • Stonewall Jackson • Harold K. Johnson • William Westmoreland • Timothy Leary • Lloyd Austin • Frank Rubio • Hun Manet • Anne McClain • Stanley McChrystal • John J. Mearsheimer • Jubal A. Early • Creighton Williams Abrams, Jr. • Mike Krzyzewski • Buzz Aldrin • Jack Reed • Matthew Bunker Ridgway • Omar Bradley • Maxwell Davenport Taylor • Michael Collins • David Scott • Carl Spaatz • Ambrose Everett Burnside • Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. • Henry W. Halleck • Norman Schwarzkopf • E. Kirby-Smith • George Edward Pickett • Jonathan M. Wainwright • Al Worden • James B. McPherson • Andrew Summers Rowan
Related People Red Blaik • Bertram G. Goodhue

Photos and Videos

United States Military Academy
West Point in the 1780s.In 1795 George Washington called for a national academy to train military officers. West Point, a military fortress during the American Revolution, was the site chosen.
Benedict Arnold and John André
Sylvanus Thayer Medal
Sylvanus Thayer Medal
officer cadets
Dwight D. Eisenhower as a U.S. Military Academy graduate
Cadets on parade at the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
United States Military Academy
Know about the academic program of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics