Fort McHenry and the Birth of the Star Spangled Banner

“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.

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 13^th, 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.”

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