A major section of Key West is the military, and the military has a long history in Key West. One of the main reasons why Florida was bought from Spain is due to the perfect location to protect the shipping between the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean. Lt. Matthew C. Perry raised the American Flag in Key West, on March 25, 1822 Claiming Key West and the Florida Keys part of the United States of America. Captain David Porter established the Key West navel base on April 3, 1823. The Key West Army post was established in February 1931, on what is now known as Perry Court. The U.S. felt it was necessary to open up a coastal defense system as the result of the war of 1812, so it decided to establish forts. Work on the forts started in 1845, in Key West and Dry Tortugas. In Key West, Fort Zachary Taylor is named after President Taylor. Even though it was under construction for 30 years, Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas was a major project that was never finished. It had walls that were 8 feet thick, and walls that were 50 feet high. It was built to house 1,500 troops and 450 guns. Rather then military it became a prison. The most famous prisoner held on Fort Jefferson was Dr, Mudd, John Wilkes booths physician. In 1935, Ft. Jefferson became a national park. In 1856, when the nation was drifting during Civil war the Navy needed a permanent building. That building is still standing today, The Clinton Square Market located on Mallory Square. After the Civil War the Navel base became inactive until 1873 when the Spanish captured the American-Flag Steamer Virginus. The Spanish killed some of the crew and people on board. After the Spanish-American War the United States gained dominance over the Caribbean. Key West played a large part in both World War 1, and World War 2. During World War 2, the property the Navy used grew from 50 acres to more then 3,000 acres. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the Navel base played its most important role, protecting and patrolling the beaches, and supporting the fleet blockading Cuba.