“Oh say does that
star spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave. “
During the Olympics, local sports games, and Fourth of
July celebrations, we all have stood in unison to honor our country and sing
the National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.
The Star Spangled Banner holds a special place in the
hearts of many, but it's especially dear to city of Baltimore as it was written
in our very own, Fort McHenry.
Fort McHenry dates back to 1798 when it was designed and
built by Frenchman Jean Foncin. This unique fort is actually shaped like a
five-pointed star and is surrounded by a dry moat in order to protect the port
of Baltimore.
It received its name after a Scots-Irish immigrant, James
McHenry. James McHenry was a surgeon-soldier, a member of the Continental
Congress from Maryland, and a signature of the United States Constitution.
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| An aerial view of Fort McHenry |
While this is all fascinating information, Fort McHenry
is most known for its role in the War of 1812.
On September 13th, 1814, British admiral
Alexander Cochrane initiated his attack on Fort McHenry. Beginning at 6:00 am
and persisting for 25 hours, the British used cannons, guns, and rockets, in an
attempt to penetrate the Baltimore harbor. However, the Americans defenses remained
steadfast and the British foray proved unsuccessful. On the morning of September 14th, after the
British had depleted their ammunition, they ceased fire and gave up their
attempt to invade Baltimore.
Francis Scott Key, a lawyer from Washington D.C., was
dining aboard a British vessel seeking to negotiate the exchange of
prisoners. As the battle progressed Key
was not permitted to return to shore, hence, he watched the bombardment through
the night. As the sun rose Key saw the American flag still flying attesting to
the American victory. Touched by the symbolism of the moment, Key returned to
Baltimore and penned his famous poem that would eventually be set to music and
adopted as the United States National Anthem. Key titled his poem “Defense of
Fort M ’Henry” which was later put to music and became known as “The Star
Spangled Banner.”
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A photograph of the original flag that flew over Fort McHenry. |
But, the history of Fort McHenry does not end there.
During the American Civil War, Fort McHenry served as a prison for confederates
as well as Marylanders who were thought to be supportive of the Confederacy.
Among these prisoners was Baltimore's own Mayor, George William Brown, and
Francis Scott Key's grandson, Francis Key Howard.
Furthermore, in World War I, Fort McHenry went on to
serve as a U.S. Army Hospital, providing treatment for soldiers returning from
Europe. Hundreds of buildings were built in order to make this possible
however, today, many of these buildings do not stand as the fort has been
returned to its original layout as it appeared during the War of 1812.
During WWII Fort McHenry became a Coast Guard base before
being named a "National Monument and Historic Shrine", on August
11th, 1939. Since then it is tradition that every time a new American flag is
designed, Fort McHenry is the first place that it is flown.
Today, Fort McHenry stands proud as a symbol of
Baltimore's victory and success. Tourists from all over the world travel to
Baltimore every year to take in the beauty of the birthplace of the National
Anthem. The original flag has been restored from a state of deterioration and
is now on display for all to see the symbol of American hope and triumph.
http://www.nps.gov/fomc/learn/historyculture/index.htm\
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/fort-mchenry.html
http://baltimore.about.com/od/onlyinbaltimore/a/fortmchenry.htm
http://www.nps.gov/fomc/learn/historyculture/index.htm\
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/fort-mchenry.html
http://baltimore.about.com/od/onlyinbaltimore/a/fortmchenry.htm
