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On this day, 205 years ago during the war of 1812, after witnessing a 25-hour bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” Later set to music, it became the Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem.
Here is a 4-minute tour of Fort McHenry, courtesy of Cspan’s You Tube channel:
You can see my previous Fort McHenry post here.
Location: 2400 E Fort Ave, Baltimore, MD 21230
Designation: National Monument
Date designated or established: 3/3/1925
Date of my visit: July 17, 2013
I live 90 minutes from here. (That is 90 minutes with no traffic.) This place still amazes me.
👍🏻👍🏻
As a Brit I sometimes find it difficult to believe we were once at war with you guys. But it all worked OK in the end, and our nations are the best of friends. I guess that proves there’s much more that links us than separates us, despite the War of Independence and the War of 1812!
We are taught this history of our country’s beginnings from a young age. While I’ve absorbed it and appreciate the magnitude of it, in my mind, I never really make the connection between the Redcoats and my modern day British friends. I guess because my personal history began long after these events as my grandparents didn’t immigrate until the 1900s. You’d be hard pressed to find someone in this region who is purely descended of the original colonists, so these revolutions are no longer part of our collective conscious. 🙂
The you tube video is great. I’ll have to try that sometimes. Another good post. Thanks
Thanks! I can’t actually remember how I embedded it now, but if I come across another good one to share, I’ll figure it out😀