CLASSIC: Fort Blunder: The US Fort Mistakenly Built in Canada
Summary
Ridiculous History explores "Fort Blunder," a US military fort accidentally built on Canadian soil due to mapping errors, costing millions and becoming a decaying historic site. Hosts Matt and Noel discuss the 1816 construction mishap and its eventual sale. Guest Jonathan Strickland joins for the "True or False" segment, debunking a myth about Florida’s panhandle shape while revealing the complex geopolitical history behind it.
Topics discussed
Intro, ads, and episode setup
Context: US-Canada border tensions and the need for a fort
Construction of Fort Montgomery and its structural flaws
The blunder: Building the fort on Canadian soil
Resolution via treaty and the fort's abandonment
Fort Montgomery's decay and failed sale attempts
Discussion on decaying historic sites in the US
Visiting the Alamo and preserving history
True or False: The origin of Florida's panhandle
The real history of the Florida-Alabama border dispute
Outro, guest credits, and final ads
Listen ad-free on Castria