Fort McHenry is a historical American
coastal
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...
pentagonal bastion fort on
Locust Point, now a neighborhood of
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
,
Maryland. It is best known for its role in the
War of 1812, when it successfully defended
Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
navy from the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / E ...
on September 13–14, 1814. It was first built in 1798 and was used continuously by the U.S. armed forces through World War I and by the Coast Guard in World War II. It was designated a national park in 1925, and in 1939 was redesignated a "
National Monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure.
The term may also refer to a spec ...
and Historic Shrine".
During the War of 1812 an American storm flag, , was flown over Fort McHenry during the bombardment. It was replaced early on the morning of September 14, 1814, with a larger American
garrison flag, . The larger flag signaled American victory over the British in the
Battle of Baltimore
The Battle of Baltimore (September 12–15, 1814) was a sea/land battle fought between British invaders and American defenders in the War of 1812. American forces repulsed sea and land invasions off the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland ...
. The sight of the ensign inspired
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Frederick, Maryland, who wrote the lyrics for the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner". Key observed the British bombardment ...
to write the poem "
Defence of Fort M'Henry" that was later set to the tune "
To Anacreon in Heaven
"The Anacreontic Song", also known by its incipit "To Anacreon in Heaven", was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London. Composed by John Stafford Smith, the tune was later use ...
" and became known as "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...
", the
national anthem of the United States.
History
18th century
Fort McHenry was built on the site of the former Fort Whetstone, which had defended Baltimore from 1776 to 1797. Fort Whetstone stood on Whetstone Point (today's residential and industrial area of
Locust Point) peninsula, which juts into the opening of Baltimore Harbor between the Basin (today's Inner Harbor) and Northwest branch on the north side and the Middle and Ferry (now Southern) branches of the
Patapsco River on the south side.
The Frenchman Jean Foncin designed the fort in 1798, and it was built between 1798 and 1800. The new fort's purpose was to improve the defenses of the increasingly important
Port of Baltimore
Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the nation's largest port facilities fo ...
from future enemy attacks.
The new fort was a bastioned pentagon, surrounded by a dry
moat—a deep, broad trench. The moat would serve as a shelter from which infantry might defend the fort from a land attack. In case of such an attack on this first line of defense, each point, or
bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
could provide a crossfire of cannon and small arms fire.
Fort McHenry was named after early American statesman
James McHenry
James McHenry (November 16, 1753 – May 3, 1816) was a Scotch-Irish American military surgeon, statesman, and a Founding Father of the United States. McHenry was a signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland, initiated the recommen ...
(1753–1816), a
Scots-Irish immigrant and surgeon-soldier. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland and a signer of the United States Constitution. Afterwards, he was appointed
United States Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
(1796–1800), serving under
Presidents George Washington and
John Adams.
19th century
War of 1812
Beginning at 6:00 a.m. on September 13, 1814, British warships under the command of Vice Admiral
Alexander Cochrane continuously bombarded Fort McHenry for 25 hours. The American defenders had 18-, 24- and 32-pounder () cannons. The British guns had a range of , and the British
rockets
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...
had a range, but neither guns nor rockets were accurate. The British ships were unable to pass Fort McHenry and penetrate
Baltimore Harbor because of its defenses, including a chain of 22 sunken ships, and the American cannons. The British vessels were only able to fire their
rockets and
mortars at the fort at the weapons' maximum range. The poor accuracy on both sides resulted in very little damage to either side before the British, having depleted their ammunition, ceased their attack on the morning of September 14.
Thus the naval part of the British invasion of Baltimore had been repulsed. Only one British warship, a bomb vessel, received a direct hit from the fort's return fire, which wounded one crewman.
The Americans, under the command of Major
George Armistead
George Armistead (April 10, 1780 – April 25, 1818) was an American military officer who served as the commander of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.
Life and career
Armistead was born on the Newmarket Plantat ...
, lost four killed—including one black soldier,
Private William Williams, and a woman who was cut in half by a bomb as she carried supplies to the troops—and 24 wounded. At one point during the bombardment, a bomb crashed through the fort's
powder magazine. However, either the rain extinguished the fuse or the bomb was a
dud
A dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate, respectively, on time or on command. Poorly designed devices (for example, improvised explosive devices (IEDs)), and small devices, have higher chances of being duds.
Du ...
.
Star-Spangled Banner
Washington lawyer
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Frederick, Maryland, who wrote the lyrics for the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner". Key observed the British bombardment ...
went to Baltimore to negotiate the release of Dr. William Beanes, a civilian prisoner of war, and there he witnessed the bombardment from a nearby truce ship. An oversized American flag had been sewn by
Mary Pickersgill
Mary Pickersgill (born Mary Young; February 12, 1776 – October 4, 1857) was the maker of the Star Spangled Banner Flag hoisted over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. The daughter of another noted flag maker, Rebe ...
for $405.90
in anticipation of the British attack on the fort. Key saw the flag emerge intact in the dawn of September 14,
and he was so moved that he began to compose "Defence of Fort M'Henry" set to the tune "
To Anacreon in Heaven
"The Anacreontic Song", also known by its incipit "To Anacreon in Heaven", was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London. Composed by John Stafford Smith, the tune was later use ...
". It was renamed "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...
" and became the United States' national anthem.
Civil War
During the
American Civil War the area where Fort McHenry sits served as a military prison, confining both
Confederate soldiers, as well as a large number of
Maryland political figures who were suspected of being Confederate sympathizers. The imprisoned included newly elected Baltimore Mayor
George William Brown
George William Brown (October 13, 1812 – September 8, 1890) was an American politician, judge and academic. He was mayor of Baltimore from 1860 to 1861, professor in University of Maryland School of Law, and 2nd Chief Judge and Supreme Bench of ...
, the city council, and the new police commissioner,
George P. Kane, and members of the Maryland General Assembly along with several newspaper editors and owners.
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Frederick, Maryland, who wrote the lyrics for the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner". Key observed the British bombardment ...
's grandson,
Francis Key Howard
Frank Key Howard (October 25, 1826 – May 29, 1872) (also cited as Francis Key Howard) was the grandson of Francis Scott Key and Revolutionary War colonel John Eager Howard. Howard was the editor of the '' Daily Exchange'', a Baltimore news ...
, was one of these political detainees. Some of the cells used still exist and can be visited at the fort. Fort McHenry also served to train artillery at this time; this service is the origin of the
Rodman guns presently located and displayed at the fort.
On 25 May 1861
John Merryman
John Merryman (August 9, 1824 – November 15, 1881) of Baltimore County, Maryland, was arrested in May 1861 and held prisoner in Fort McHenry in Baltimore and was the petitioner in the case ''" Ex parte Merryman"'' which was one of the best ...
was arrested in Baltimore County and imprisoned in Fort McHenry. Merryman had had a role in destroying bridges in Maryland to impede the movement of Union troops. Merryman petitioned
Supreme Court Chief Justice
Roger B. Taney
Roger Brooke Taney (; March 17, 1777 – October 12, 1864) was the fifth chief justice of the United States, holding that office from 1836 until his death in 1864. Although an opponent of slavery, believing it to be an evil practice, Taney belie ...
for a writ of ''
habeas corpus
''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...
'', and Taney granted the petition, demanding that Merryman appear in his courtroom the next day and sending U.S. Marshals to the fort to enforce the ruling. A famous and dramatic standoff then occurred at the gates of the fort between the Federal Marshals and General
George Cadwalader, the commander of Union troops of the Fort. The commander refused to comply with the order on the grounds that he was acting under orders from President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
, who had suspended habeas corpus. The court case, ''
Ex parte Merryman
''Ex parte Merryman'', 17 F. Cas. 144 (C.C.D. Md. 1861) (No. 9487), is a well-known and controversial U.S. federal court case that arose out of the American Civil War. It was a test of the authority of the President to suspend ...
'', remains unresolved, and the Executive Branch continued to refuse to comply with Taney's ruling.
20th century
World War I
During
World War I, an additional hundred-odd buildings were built on the land surrounding the fort in order to convert the entire facility into an enormous U.S. Army hospital for the treatment of troops returning from the European conflict. None of those buildings remain, while the original fort has been preserved and restored to essentially its condition during the War of 1812.
World War II
During
World War II, Fort McHenry served as a
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
base.
Used for training, the historic sections remained open to the public.
National monument
The fort was made a
national park in 1925; on August 11, 1939, it was redesignated a "
National Monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure.
The term may also refer to a spec ...
and Historic Shrine", the only such doubly designated place in the United States. It was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. It has become national tradition that when a new flag is designed it first flies over Fort McHenry. The first official 49- and 50-star American flags were flown over the fort and are still located on the premises.
Today
The fort has become a center of recreation for the Baltimore locals as well as a prominent tourist destination. Thousands of visitors come each year to see the "Birthplace of the Star-Spangled Banner." It's easily accessible by
water taxi from the popular Baltimore
Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It was described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as "the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world". The ...
. However, to prevent abuse of the parking lots at the Fort, the
National Park Service does not permit passengers to take the water taxi back to the Inner Harbor unless they have previously used it to arrive at the monument.
Several authorized archaeological digs have been conducted, and found artifacts are on display in one of the buildings surrounding the Parade Ground. These structures, as well as the Visitor Center, have numerous other exhibits as well that show the fort's use over time.
Every September, the City of Baltimore commemorates
Defenders Day in honor of the Battle of Baltimore. It is the biggest celebration of the year at the Fort, accompanied by a weekend of programs, events, and fireworks.
In 2005 the living history volunteer unit, the
Fort McHenry Guard, was awarded the George B. Hartzog award for serving the National Park Service as the best volunteer unit. Among the members of the unit is
Martin O'Malley, the former mayor of Baltimore and Governor of Maryland, who was made the unit's honorary colonel in 2003.
The flag that flew over Fort McHenry, the
Star-Spangled Banner Flag
The Star-Spangled Banner, or the Great Garrison Flag, was the garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor during the naval portion of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. It is on exhibit at the National Museum of Amer ...
, has deteriorated to an extremely fragile condition. After undergoing restoration at the
National Museum of American History, it is now on display there in a special exhibit that allows it to lie at a slight angle in dim light.
The
United States Code currently authorizes Fort McHenry's closure to the public in the event of a
national emergency for use by the military for the duration of such an emergency.
In 2013, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine was honored with its own
quarter under the
America the Beautiful Quarters Program.
On September 10–16, 2014, Fort McHenry celebrated the bicentennial of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner called the Star-Spangled Spectacular. The event included a parade of tall ships, a large fireworks show, and the Navy's Blue Angels
, restoration efforts began to preserve the original brick used in construction of the Fort, primarily through mortar replacement.
On August 26, 2020, when due to the
COVID-19 pandemic a normal
Republican National Convention could not be held, vice president
Mike Pence held his acceptance speech after being nominated for a second term as vice president of the United States at Fort McHenry.
Gallery
File:Fort McHenry camp.jpg, Historical re-enactment at Fort McHenry
File:FtMcHenrySallyPort.JPG, The sally port
A sally port is a secure, controlled entry way to an enclosure, e.g., a fortification or prison. The entrance is usually protected by some means, such as a fixed wall on the outside, parallel to the door, which must be circumvented to enter an ...
(main entrance) into Fort McHenry.
File:FMcHOrpheus.jpg, Adjacent to Fort McHenry lies a monument of Orpheus that is dedicated to the soldiers of the fort and Francis Scott Key.
File:Fort McHenry 1812.jpg, Fort McHenry
File:Fort McHenry I.jpg, Fort McHenry map[
]
See also
*
List of forts
*
Fort McHenry Tunnel
The Fort McHenry Tunnel is a four-tube, bi-directional tunnel that carries traffic on Interstate 95 (I-95) underneath the Baltimore Harbor. The lowest point in the Interstate System under water, the tunnel is named for nearby Fort McHenry.
T ...
– opened 1985; passes a few hundred feet south of Fort McHenry and is part of
Interstate 95
*
List of Civil War POW Prisons and Camps
*
List of National Monuments of the United States
References
External links
*
Fort McHenry GuardFort McHenry is part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails NetworkWeather & Maps– Unearthed Outdoors
*[https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ft.+mchenry&sll=39.33458,-76.621056&sspn=0,359.985237&ie=UTF8&ll=39.265105,-76.580415&spn=0,359.985237&z=16&layer=c&cbll=39.265071,-76.580614&panoid=eXbIBGYXAnUWOItrSdAd7g&cbp=12,131.09545476136088,,0,5 Ft. McHenry on Google Street View]
2008 Photo Feature*
C-SPAN American History TV "Birth of the Star-Spangled Banner" Tour at Fort McHenryC-SPAN American History TV "After the Star-Spangled Banner" Tour at Fort McHenry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Mchenry
Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland
McHenry
History of Baltimore
Locust Point, Baltimore
National Park Service National Monuments in Maryland
Shrines
McHenry
McHenry
American Civil War prison camps
Defunct prisons in Maryland
Maryland in the American Civil War
Military and war museums in Maryland
History museums in Maryland
Museums in Baltimore
Protected areas established in 1925
Museums of the War of 1812
Maryland in the War of 1812
Landmarks in Baltimore
Tourist attractions in Baltimore
Historic American Buildings Survey in Baltimore
Star forts
Coastal fortifications
McHenry
National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore
American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places
The Star-Spangled Banner
Former national parks of the United States
1800 establishments in Maryland
Baltimore City Landmarks