Fort McHenry is now a museum, but it holds a unique spot in American history because it’s the place where the flag flew that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem. During 1812 several issues including trade disagreements led the Americans to engage the British in armed conflict. This conflict is known as the War of 1812. One of the many battles of the War of 1812 was the Battle of Baltimore. The British after having attacked Washington D.C. and burnt down the White House decided to move on towards Baltimore. At that time, Francis Scott Key was located off the coast of Baltimore aboard one of the British ships trying to negotiate a prisoner exchange. He dined with a British General but wasn’t allowed to leave the ship due to his knowledge of plans to bombarded the Americans at Baltimore. Mr. Key spent the night watching the battle from a distance. At dawn Mr. Key along with two other men boarded a small boat and headed back to Baltimore when he spotted the giant American flag still flying high above. The sight of the flag, unscathed by all the bombardment which had occurred the previous night, inspired him to write a poem that eventually became The Star-Spangled Banner<img

There are many size flags flown at Fort McHenry. This one is the size that Mr. Key saw.

Canons pointing toward the harbor.

Military officer’s quarters.

Battle scene