This fort is famous for being the place where Francis Scott Key saw that "the flag was still there" after hours of bombardment by the British troops.
Quick history lesson: During the war of 1812, the British decided that they wanted to gain control of Baltimore, they couldn't via the land route, so they started a campaign in the harbor aimed at the fort. Well, the fort fired back however their cannons could only reach 1.5 miles into the harbor, so the British ships with cannons that could reach 2 miles, backed their ships out of harms way and continued the bombardment from close to 2 miles away. The garrison flag, which has 15 stripes and 15 stars was flown during the course of the bombardment, it was a HUGE flag. The goal was to be able to see it from miles away. Mr. Key was on a British ship (as a prisoner...I think) and watched the scene, as the morning dawned he looked to the fort and through the haze saw the "Star Spangled Banner". He wrote down the words and over time it became the National Anthem.
Interesting side note: While completing the Jr. Park Ranger booklet, little man needed to locate the 'ramparts', we looked all over the fort and figured out it was the walls of the fort. The song makes more sense now: "the ramparts we watched" were the walls! Little man completed the packet and earned a pin, he was told to be a "Super Ranger" he had to complete the entire packet (which is made for kiddos up to the age of 12-13). He worked so hard that night to finish the whole packet that the very next day we went back and became a "Super Ranger". He earned a 200 year commemorative patch for that.
Quick history lesson: During the war of 1812, the British decided that they wanted to gain control of Baltimore, they couldn't via the land route, so they started a campaign in the harbor aimed at the fort. Well, the fort fired back however their cannons could only reach 1.5 miles into the harbor, so the British ships with cannons that could reach 2 miles, backed their ships out of harms way and continued the bombardment from close to 2 miles away. The garrison flag, which has 15 stripes and 15 stars was flown during the course of the bombardment, it was a HUGE flag. The goal was to be able to see it from miles away. Mr. Key was on a British ship (as a prisoner...I think) and watched the scene, as the morning dawned he looked to the fort and through the haze saw the "Star Spangled Banner". He wrote down the words and over time it became the National Anthem.
Interesting side note: While completing the Jr. Park Ranger booklet, little man needed to locate the 'ramparts', we looked all over the fort and figured out it was the walls of the fort. The song makes more sense now: "the ramparts we watched" were the walls! Little man completed the packet and earned a pin, he was told to be a "Super Ranger" he had to complete the entire packet (which is made for kiddos up to the age of 12-13). He worked so hard that night to finish the whole packet that the very next day we went back and became a "Super Ranger". He earned a 200 year commemorative patch for that.
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