The necessity of improving the fortifications of the
colony of Suriname was underscored when French buccaneers under the leadership of
Jacques Cassard attacked the colony in 1712.
Fort Sommelsdijk, which was situated further upstream the Commewijne River at its confluence with the
Cottica River was fortified for this purpose in 1715, but it was clear something more substantial needed to be done to defend the colony against foreign attacks. It was eventually decided to build a new fort at the confluence of the Suriname and Commewijne rivers. When Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam was completed in 1747, Fort Sommelsdijk was downgraded to a military outpost. In 1804, the fort was captured by British forces led by
Samuel Hood and
Charles Green, during the
Invasion of Suriname, which was a campaign during the
Napoleonic Wars. This battle was notable for being the first usage of
Shrapnel shells. Between 1863 and 1967, the fort was used as a
prison. It is the location of the decommissioned
lightvessel Suriname-Rivier, which is permanently moored in a wet dock inside the fort. After the
independence of Suriname, a monument was erected in the fort. == See also ==