1. The United States Military Academy at West Point was established in 1802 through an act of legislature. Which American President was responsible for signing the act that formally created it?
From Quiz You're In The Army Now
Answer:
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson, during his term as President of the United States, on March 16, 1802 signed the Military Peace Establishment Act, and is responsible for the final establishment of the United States Military Academy at West Point. George Washington had previously surveyed the grounds and the location was a strategic point during the Revolutionary War. Major Jonathan Williams, a grandnephew of Benjamin Franklin, was appointed by Jefferson to supervise its building and develop its curriculum which was to focus on engineering. The formal opening of the United States Military Academy occurred on July 4, 1802. In the Academy's library there are three portraits which honor those who were a part of West Point's beginning and those portraits are of George Washington, Jonathan Williams, and Thomas Jefferson.