The United States Military Academy at West Point is an academy of higher education where commissioned officers are trained as leaders of the United States Army.
And on this day in history, July 4, 1802, the United States Military Academy first opened at West Point, New York.
According to Britannica, about 1,200 potential cadets are admitted each year. West Point itself announced in a press release in late June of this year that more than 1,230 U.S. citizens and 16 international students would report to the academy on July 1 to join West Point's Class of 2028.
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The idea of an American military school came from General Henry Knox in 1776.
General George Washington and Alexander Hamilton quickly endorsed the idea, according to Britannica.
The United States Military Academy at West Point opened on July 4, 1802, in New York's Hudson Valley. (Prisma/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Revolutionary War highlighted the continuing need for young Americans to develop and train to be military leaders.
However, at the time, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson disagreed with Washington and Hamilton regarding having an institution of higher learning dedicated to training officers for the Army, according to West Point.
It was not until Jefferson became President of the United States that he recognized that defending the republic against possible invasion was of the utmost importance.
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He signed legislation to establish the United States Military Academy on March 16, 1802, according to Britannica.
The first class of five officers and ten cadets would enroll in school for the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
West Point cadets are trained to be military leaders while also earning a college education. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The United States Military Academy at West Point has officially opened as a school of learning for military engineers, according to Britannica.
Students would not only participate in physical training but would also study to become engineering officers.
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The West Point location has been occupied by troops since 1778; Washington himself considered it the most strategic location in the United States during the American Revolution, according to West Point.
U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, salutes during graduation ceremonies at West Point, New York, May 21, 2022. (Reuters/David Dee Delgado)
The location of the academy was of great importance, as the Hudson River Valley was key territory to hold during the Revolutionary War.
Washington established his headquarters on the land in 1779, shortly before Maj. Gen. Benedict Arnold attempted to surrender it to the British, according to Britannica.
After the failed attempt, Washington ensured that West Point was never taken.
Currently, fewer than 10 percent of applicants are typically accepted into the academy, which has a total enrollment of about 4,400, according to Britannica.
Approximately 1,200 young men are accepted each year to the United States Military Academy at West Point. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Those eligible for acceptance into the academy must be at least 17 years old, but no older than 23.
They must also be U.S. citizens, unmarried, not pregnant and not legally responsible for child support, according to West Point.
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“Since its founding more than two centuries ago, the military academy has fulfilled its mission by developing cadets in four critical areas: intellectual, physical, military and ethical-moral, a four-year process called the 'West Point Experience,'” according to the academy's website.
“Specific development objectives are addressed through several fully coordinated and integrated programmes.”
The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, circa 1915. (Educational Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The site also explains: “A challenging academic program offering 37 majors provides a balanced education in the arts and sciences. All cadets receive a Bachelor of Science degree, which is specifically designed to meet the intellectual requirements of a commissioned officer in today's Army.”
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The United States Military Academy's motto is “Duty, Honor, Country,” “a striking expression of West Point's age-old ideals,” according to the Academy itself.
This motto is engraved on the academy's coat of arms.
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The academy notes: “A favorite expression at West Point is that 'much of the history we teach was made by the people we taught.'”
He goes on to say: “Great leaders such as Grant and Lee, Pershing and MacArthur, Eisenhower and Patton, Westmoreland and Schwarzkopf are among the more than 60,000 graduates of the military academy. Many others have served society in the fields of medicine, law, business, politics and science after their careers in uniform.”
