Fort Ticonderoga, NY Roadside turnout with historical marker - 'Near this spot stood Louis-Joshep De Gozon Marquis De Montcalm. On the 8th of July 1758, with a small force of French troops and Canadian volunteers, he prevented the capture of Ft. Carillon by defeating the much superior British and colonial army under Gen. James Abercrombie.' A state of the northeast United States. It was admitted as one of the original Thirteen Colonies in 1788. First explored by Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson, the region was claimed by the Dutch in 1624 but fell to the English in 1664–1667. The building of the Erie Canal and railroad lines in the 1820s and 1830s led to development of the western part of the state and great economic prosperity, establishing New York City as the financial center of the nation. Albany is the capital and New York City the largest metropolis.