West Point

As early as 1776, the Continental Congress authorized a committee to plan to establish a military academy. Washington, Knox, and John Adams were all eager to eliminate America's wartime dependence on foreign engineers and artillery, and strongly advocated the establishment of an institution dedicated to the art and science of war. However, due to fear of European professional officers and totalitarianism, the plan never materialized, and only began to establish cadet ranks among engineers and artillery at Fort West Point in 1794. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, changed his original opposition after seeing that the establishment of a military academy could be used as a means to promote domestic engineering and scientific learning. On September 21, 1801, President Jefferson ordered those cadets to carry out formal guidance. On March 16, 1802, Congress approved the president's action and authorized the establishment of a Congression-controlled Corps of Engineers and a military academy at West Point. Subsequently, After guaranteeing that those who studied in military schools would represent democratic society, the President signed a bill to establish the "U.S. Military Academy." This day marked the birth of West Point. The first president was Jonathan Williams, grandson of the famous American politician and scientist Benjamin Franklin. At the time, there were only 10 cadets and 7 officers.

Introduction to West Point Military Academy

West Point Military Academy is the first military school in the United States. It is located at West Point, New York (west bank of the Hudson River) and covers an area (approximately 6,500 hectares). The motto of West Point Military Academy is "Duty, Honor, Country." The school is one of the oldest military academies in the United States. It has formed The Patriot League with 12 other elite universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Lehigh Unrgetown University, and the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA). The common characteristics of these institutions are their small size and highly elitist nature.

Over its more than 200 years, it has cultivated many American military talents, including 37 groups of military strategists. It has also cultivated and created many politicians, entrepreneurs, educators and scientists for the United States. In 2014, USNews ranked 5th in mechanical engineering at American universities.

The National Defense University, founded in 1976, is directly under the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States and is a comprehensive military institution. The president is usually appointed by a lieutenant general or a civilian officer appointed by the Department of Defense.