Autumn leaf-peeping along New York's Hudson River 'chained' to American independence

Leisurely autumn leaf-peeping and the drama of American independence are linked together in a historical hunt along the Hudson River in New York.

The fall-tinted scenic drive could reveal remnants of an iron-clad testament to patriotism, American industrial spirit and the defiant derring-do of the upstart new nation.

Continental troops, under the orders of Gen. George Washington, linked an iron chain across the width of the Hudson River near West Point. It weighed 65 to 75 tons, according to multiple sources.

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The iron barrier was designed to keep the almighty British navy from controlling the critical waterway and severing rebellious New England from the rest of the American colonies. 

"I would call the chain an engineering marvel for its time," Dan Davis, senior education manager of the American Battlefield Trust in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital.

"Not only was it an engineering marvel, it made West Point a nearly impenetrable position."

Washington assigned Polish military engineer Col. Thaddeus Kosciusko to lead the chain gang and hang the iron links across the river.

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"The massive chain [was] made of 1,200 links of wrought iron, stretched 1,700 feet in length … and took forty men a total of four days to install," according to the Albany Institute of History and Art.

Remnants of the chain and local iron foundries remain. They are hidden around the imposing cliffs and citadel towers of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and amid quaint riverside communities that glow in the natural wonder of the fire-hued Hudson River in autumn. 

The earthworks that housed the western end of the chain is found at the end of a trail at West Point known by cadets as "Flirtation Walk."

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Thirteen links of the chain hanging in a ring and flanked by two Revolutionary War cannons, create a prominent West Point landmark at Trophy Point. The site offers dramatic views up the Hudson River portrayed throughout the centuries in American art.

A similar ring of remnants of the chain forms a landmark in the west-bank community of Newburgh, New York.

Signs point out the east end of the chain on Constitution Island in Cold Springs, New York.

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The charming colonial-era riverside village offers boutiques, bars, bakeries and bookshops and highlights the east-bank history of leaf peeping and history seeking.

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The town earned its name Cold Spring from Washington himself, according to a historical marker in the center of town.

"Just driving the area, you get a sense of the topography and geography of the terrain, the height of the mountains and hills and why West Point, and the chain protecting it, were so important," said Davis.

The topography and autumn color may be best viewed from the top of Bear Mountain State Park, a hub of outdoor activities and natural wonders just south of West Point on the west bank of the Hudson River.

The rural appearance, idyllic images and small-town charms belie the history surrounding the region.

"From the earliest moments of the War for Independence, each side knew that the key to victory was the Hudson River," David Levine wrote of "The Great Chain" for Hudson Valley magazine in 2018.

"The river separated the northeast from the rest of the country. If the British took control of the river, the head would be cut off from the body, and both sides knew what would follow," Levine wrote.