On March 16, 1802, the U.S. Military Academy was established by Congress to educate and train young men in military science. Located high on the west bank of the Hudson River, the school became known as West Point. In 1817, Sylvanus Thayer–known as the Father of West Point–reorganized and strengthened the curriculum. The school also became an important source for a new discipline—civil engineers who built roads and bridges all over the U.S.
