Terms of Use The imposing Fort McHenry, at the mouth of the inner harbor, provided the linchpin for the American defenses. The newest bomb ships of the Vesuvius class were three-masted vessels carrying a massive central weight of 325 tons, with a length of 102 feet, ideal for heavy weather and shore bombardment. The star-spangled banner may not have been run up the flagpole until first light on September 14. The birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner, Fort McHenry still stands as it did when "the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. March 1, 2007 A conservator works on the Star-Spangled Banner in 1914. And history records no "way out" offered by signalling surrender with the lowering of the flag. The flag was stitched from a combination of cotton and dyed English wool bunting. She is also thought to have begun the tradition of giving pieces of the flag away to honor her husband's memory, as well as the memories of the soldiers who defended the fort under his command. [52], A 2-inch by 5-inch fragment of the flagwhite and red, with a seam down the middlewas sold at auction in Dallas, Texas on November 30, 2011, for $38,837: the snippet was, presumably, cut from the famous flag as a souvenir in the mid-19th century. "It seemed as though mother earth had opened and was vomiting shot and shell in a sheet of fire and brimstone," Key wrote later. These ships fire exploding mortar shellsat high angles into the fort. Nearly two centuries later, the flag that inspired Key still survives, though fragile and worn by the years. The hours passed slowly, but in the clearing smoke of "the dawn's early light" on September 14, he saw the American flagnot the British Union Jackflying over the fort, announcing an American victory. Scott S. Sheads is a retired ranger-historian and Historic Weapons Officer at Fort McHenry National Historic Site and Shrine in Baltimore, Md., a position he took up in 1979. In January of 1862, Brig. Also, there were no large groups of American prisoners held in the cargo hold of boats. It was this storm flagnot the garrison flag now known as the Star-Spangled Bannerwhich actually flew during the battle. It evokes powerful emotions and ideas about what it means to be an American. [53] The framed remnant came with a faded, hand-written note attesting it was "A piece of the Flag which floated over Fort McHenry at the time of the bombardment when Key's (sic) composed the Song of the Star Spangled Banner, presented by Sam Beth Cohen. Each star, by the way, is made of cotton and was created by reverse applicqu method. [49][50][51], The National Museum of American History produced an online exhibition in conjunction with the reopening of Flag Hall in 2008. As the sloop tossed in violent waves, Key could only see the red glare of the enemys rockets and the sound of bombs bursting in air. He thought it unlikely that the Americans could hold out against such a volley of gunfire. Key, a 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet was detained on the British ship Tonnant off the cost of Baltimore when the bombardment began. He had witnessed Britain's twenty-five hour bombardment of the Fort, and for Key, the raising of the American flag was a triumphant symbol of bravery and perseverance. Robert M. Poole is the magazine's contributing editor. Given the scale of the attack, he was certain the British would win. See who is sharing it (it might even be your friends) and leave the link in the comments. They made the stars, each measuring two feet in diameter, from cottona luxury item at the time. He said 'All of the gun power, all of the armament is being called upon to demolish that fort. Prepared to take . A national subscription magazinepublishedlocally,NilesWeeklyRegister,recorded that thehouses in the city were shakentotheir foundations for never,perhapsfromthe timeof invention of cannonto thepresent day, were the same number ofpiecesfired with so rapid a succession.The vivid display of early 19th-century shock and awe could be heard 100 miles awayinPhiladelphia. Brooke collects the main body of the British troops and presses forward. But by 9:30 a.m., Admiral Cochrane knew his fleet would be mired for the foreseeable future those shore batteries, coupled with a chain-mast boom, sunken vessels, U.S. gun boats and the Lazaretto Battery, presented a formidable harbor defensive line and any infantry assault would lack naval support. Mary Pickersgill (born Mary Young; February 12, 1776 - October 4, 1857) was the maker, along with thirteen-year-old Grace Wisher, her African American enslaved servant, of the Star-Spangled Banner hoisted over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.The daughter of another noted flag maker, Rebecca Young, Pickersgill learned her craft from her mother, and, in 1813, was . More than two hundred years since the perilous fight" over Baltimore, the legacies of the Old Defenders of Baltimore of 1814 are remembered annually on Defenders' Day.And the American flag now with 50 stars rather than 15 flies, by presidential proclamation, over Fort McHenry day and night. Their bodies were removed and others took their place. Print by J. Bower, Philadelphia, 1816. He said 'We will still honor our commitment to release these men, but it will be merely academic after tonight, it won't matter.' Original size: 30 feet by 42 feet. Let us know!. Whether or not Francis Scott Key actually visited Fort McHenry that day, he would have not seen a stack of "patriots' bodies" holding the flag pole upright. Victoria "Tory" Altman is an Education Specialist in the Office of Education Outreach. Not knowing for sure when an attack would occur, they spent months preparing for it. Why were the citizens of Baltimore so well prepared for a British attack? Every purchase supports the mission. [32] For the next 29 years, he allowed it to be displayed only once, in 1880, when it was paraded through the streets of Baltimore for the city's sesquicentennial celebration. When Major George Armistead, the fort's commander, expressed the desire for a very large flag to fly over the fort, General John S. Stricker and Commodore Joshua Barney placed an order for two oversized American flags. The failed bombardment of Fort McHenry forced the British to abandon their land assault on the crucial port city of Baltimore. "We're aware of at least a dozen more that exist in other museums and private collections," says Kendrick. It was another chapter in the ongoing War of 1812. Barges were stretched across the watery approaches creating choke points, and channels were left open to lure the British ships into kill zones. Most people assume that this grand banner flew through the rockets red glare.. The British attack on Baltimore had began in earnest. All that he (Key) could hear was the men down below praying. War & Affiliation War of 1812 / American. The larger of the two flags had stripes two feet wide, and stars 24 inches from point to point. Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History, The Battle of Caulks Field: Forgotten Fight of the Chesapeake Campaign, Let it Rain Militia: The Critical Battle for the Chesapeake, Short History of The Star Spangled Banner. At 4:30 a.m., the American batteries fell silent, followed at 7:30 a.m. by the last British bomb to arc over the Patapsco River toward Fort McHenry. He said 'Hundreds." But the inspiring banner he glimpsed may only have been raised at daylight. The British hoped the loss of both Washington and Baltimore would cripple the American war effort and force peace. By noon, Brooke had come within two miles east of the American lines, surveying any opportunities for an infantry breakthrough, but found none. This British defeat was a turning point in the War of 1812, leading both sides to reach a peace agreement later that year. This is a far stronger defense than the British expect; they are outnumbered two to one. [11][12], Pickersgill made the flag with assistance from her daughter, two nieces, and an African American indentured servant, Grace Wisher.[13]. He said 'We're going to remove it from the face of the earth.' Did dead bodies hold up the flag at Fort McHenry? The British set sail for New Orleans. Francis Scott Key said he remembered what George Washington had said. This revelation was famously captured in poetry by Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer and amateur poet. In the summer of 1813, Armistead ordered a large garrison flag (30 feet by 42 feet) as well as with a smaller storm flag (17 feet by 25 feet) for the Fort. Did dead bodies hold up the flag at Fort Mchenry? So the old flag survives, bathed in dim light, floating out of the darkness, just as it did on that uncertain morning at Fort McHenry. May God bless America on our Independence Day!" "Georgiana was the only child born at the fort, and she was named for her father," says Thomassen-Krauss. For the next 27 hours, in driving rain, the warships hammer the fort. Entrance Fees The entrance fee to the historic area of the park is $15.00 for adults 16 years of age and older; children 15 and younger are free. I've often been fighting back tears during the National Be Y's 7/3/16 7:55pm Baltimore, Is Northern capitalized? It is on exhibit at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. ", 2400 East Fort Avenue Cochrane sent hisnote around nightfall, without any expectationhe would receive a response before the plan hehad in hand would require him to act. If you want fictional war accounts, we recommend Game of Thrones. [47] Planning and executing a cleaning treatment for the flag following scientific analysis was the third phase. Bodies of the dead were not used to hold up the flag pole- a 42 by 30 foot flag has to be on a well-anchored pole, not held up by a few dead bodies stacked around it. The bodies holding up the flag pole story is about as ridiculous as it is insulting to the four killed, and twenty four wounded (of which several would later die) as a result of the battle. He served as a co-historian for the Smithsonian Institutions Saving the Star-Spangled Banner Project, and for the National Park Services The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail study. On August 19, 1813, the flag was delivered to Fort McHenry. Tensions were high in the British command infrastructure. Keeping their stars on the national flag signified that continued solidarity. American forces resistedthe dramaticBritish bombardmentof Fort McHenry and proved they could stand up to a great world power. [21] It reportedly decorated the hall of the Baltimore Athenaeum during a memorial service for Lafayette in 1834. "The fact that it has been entrusted to the National Museum of American History is an honor.". The bombardment, known as the Battle of Baltimore, came only weeks after the British had attacked Washington, D.C., burning the Capitol, the Treasury and the President's house. Duke also co-hosted a daily podcast with former HLN host Nancy Grace, "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace" and hosted the podcast series "Stan Lee's World: His Real Life Battle with Heroes & Villains." Some historians believe that a smaller, 17 by 25-foot storm flag may have flown over Fort McHenry during the rainy evening of the bombardment. Now, here are the most obvious ways this video is filled with fake history: Francis Scott Key was a lawyer in Baltimore. Key only negotiated for the release of Dr. Beanes, using letters from British soldiers affirming that the Maryland physician had treated wounded British soldiers after a battle. The flag wasn't prominently displayed in the South until southern politicians began using it in their campaigns; and . Francis Scott Key said what held that flag at that unusual angle were patriots' bodies. The bombardment began at sunrise, not sunset, and continued for 27 hours. "STAR-SPANGLED BANNER" "The Star-Spangled Banner," the national anthem of the United States, was inspired by the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in the harbor of Baltimore, Maryland, during the War of 1812 (1812-1815). Corbis On a rainy September 13, 1814, British warships sent a downpour of shells and rockets onto Fort McHenry in. It is likely that they kept the flag hidden in their home in Baltimore for the duration of the war, but Margaret Appleton Baker, Georgiana's daughter, told theNew York Heraldin 1895 that the flag had actually been sent to England. On the appointed day in a row boat, he (Key) went out to this boat and he negotiated with the British officials and they reached a conclusion that men could be exchanged on a one-for-one basis. Cochrane dispatched the assessmentto his colleagues ashore: It is impossible for the Ships to render you any assistance the Town [of Baltimore] is so far retired within the Forts. Its message was clear: The British threat had passed, and Baltimore was saved. With the recent completion of the project, the Star-Spangled Banner will remain an icon of American history that can still be seen by the public. Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. The poem would be put to the music of a common tune, retitled "The Star-Spangled Banner", and a portion of it would later be adopted as the national anthem of the United States. https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2019/04/fake-news-our-national-anthem-video-not-true-story-of-star-spangled-banner.html, Fake News: Nancy Pelosi Did NOT Have 150-Year-Old Sign Removed From House Chamber Entrance, Fake News: Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar DID NOT Praise the Destruction of Notre Dame. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. To the best of our knowledge, the British did not specifically target the flag. Visitors are allowed a clear view of the flag, while it remains protected in a controlled environment. He sent sent amessage, via Admiral Cockburn, to Cochrane regarding how the two could act in concert together, one by land, one by sea. The United States declared war on Britain in June 1812 to protect free trade and sailors rights. Heading into a conflict against a country with such superior naval power was a daunting prospect for the young nation. Because of this conflict and the protractedness of it, they had accumulated prisoners on both sides. On September 12, 1814, 5,000 British soldiers and a fleet of 19 ships attacked Baltimore. In 1907, Eben Appleton lent the flag to the Smithsonian, and it was put on display at the National Museum (now the Arts and Industries Building). While ordering his men to drive off the American riflemen, Ross is shot in the chest and dies a few hours later. [8] The smaller of the two flags would be the Storm Flag, to be more durable and less prone to fouling in inclement weather. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet. Join us online July 24-26! The ships got closer, Francis Scott Key went back up top and he said 'Men, I will shout down to you what's going on as we watch.'. Published: September 9, 2020. (Image:93-13286-2 and SIA2008-2449.). He was on an American truce ship at the time. But when darkness arrived, Key saw only red erupting in the night sky. It is unclear if that was done during this battle, but the fact that it was raining made it more likely that a smaller storm flag would have flown during much of the bombardment. Wayne Boyd, the park's Acting Maintenance Chief, discovered hidden rot in the existing flagpole, prompting the need for a replacement. He began his military career during the Quasi War with France in 1799 as an Ensign in the Seventh Infantry Regiment, rising quickly to Second and then First Lieutenant by May 1800. In addition to the gigantic 42 x 30 foot garrison flag (now the Star-Spangled Banner), Pickersgill and the young women who helped her also sewed a smaller "storm flag." Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields Your Gift Tripled! He said 'You'll be taken out of this boat, out of this filth, out of your chains.'. You can also view this Smithsonian Channel video. Two eyewitnessesa British midshipman out in the harbor and an American private inside the fortrecounted seeing a flag being raised above the fort in the morning, so the logical conclusion is that the garrison flag seen that morning was not flying during the battle itself. There was no group of prisoners held in the cargo hold of the ship from where Key watched the battle. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website. The museum removed 1.7 million stitches (a previous preservation attempt) from the Star-Spangled Banner. Right or left hand? Two days later, having reembarked the land forces, the fleet sailed down the Chesapeake, soon to receive new Admiralty orders to attack the port of New Orleans, an engagement that took place before word could arrive that peace had been secured through a conference in Ghent, Belgium. [9][10] Armistead specified "a flag so large that the British would have no difficulty seeing it from a distance". It was eventually retitled The Star-Spangled Banner. The composition was sung at patriotic gatherings and political events for more than a century before President Herbert Hoover proclaimed it the national anthem of the United States in 1931. But not everyone was a fan. Without this can be done it will only bethrowing the Men's lives away:. They said 'We want to send a man out to discuss this with you.' Around midday, while the British halt for a meal, Stricker orders 250 riflemen and cannon to draw the British toward his forces. The bombardment turned to Fort McHenry on the morning of September 13, and continuous shelling occurred for 25 hours under heavy rain. Francis Scott Key went aboard and immediately went into Fort Henry to see what had happened. [34][36][37] The flag was restored by Amelia Fowler in 1914. This family tradition continued through 1880 with Armistead's grandson giving away the last documented piece, says Thomassen-Krauss. During the Battle of Baltimore on September 13 and 14, 1814, heavy thunderstorms over Fort McHenry prevented the flying of the flag we know today as the Star Spangled Banner. They allowed the Americans to return to their own vessel but continued guarding them. On the morning of September 14, when the flag was seen flying above the ramparts, it was clear that Fort McHenry remained in American hands. At the time, the practice of adding stripes (in addition to stars) with the induction of a new state had not yet been discontinued. Bodies of the dead were not used to hold up the flag pole a 42 by 30 foot flag has to be on a well-anchored pole, not held up by a few dead bodies stacked around it. Remember, there were no colonies, only states, in 1814. Francis Scott Key said what held that flag at that unusual angle were patriots' bodies. An interactive component allows site visitors to closely explore features of the flag in detail, download an audio-descriptive tour of the exhibition for the visually-impaired, and hear the song performed on original instruments from the National Museum of American History's collection. [46], Due to environmental and light damage, a four-phase restoration project began in May 1999. Let me tell you a story. which was built in 1798. The British hated the privateers and so despised the Baltimore that they called it a nest of pirates. They vowed to take revenge. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Is Fort McHenry open Covid? Georgiana, herself, had given away cuttings of the flag to other Armistead descendants, as well as family friends. These words were written by Key and set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven" by John Stafford Smith, a popular song at the time. Those marks tell the flag's story.". The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Help Save 820 Acres at Five Virginia Battlefields, Save 343 Acres at FIVE Battlefields in FOUR Western Theater States, Save 42 Historic Acres at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Phase Three of Gaines Mill-Cold Harbor Saved Forever Campaign, An Unparalleled Preservation Opportunity at Gettysburg Battlefield. Interestingly enough several African Americans found themselves fighting under the very same flag of the country that sought to enslave them. But a missing 15th star has never been found. On the night of Saturday the 10th inst. September 13. Huge, vibrant, and rich in history, most Americans are familiar with the story of this particular flag: It's the one that flew overFort McHenrythe morning after the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that would one day become our national anthem. The commander in chief had no way of knowing that in response to his latest note, Brooke had, in fact, ordered the infantry retreat from Baltimore to begin by dawn. Several of these cuttings from the Star-Spangled Banner have been located over the years, including about a dozen that are owned by the American History Museum. "[54], Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This included scientific studies with infrared spectrometry, electron microscopy, mechanical testing, and determination of amino acid content by a New Zealand scientist, and infrared imaging by a NASA scientist. It is she who is thought to have sewed the red upside-down "V" on the flag, beginning the stitches for the letter "A." NPS. That changed after architects designed the new National Museum of History and Technology, now the National Museum of American History, with space to allow the flag to hang. Join us online July 24-26! Perhaps most important is this: The massive relic on display in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is NOT the flag that . These troops were able to draw fire from the fort, but did not draw troops away from Baltimore. The final poem, called The Defense of Fort MHenry, was printed and later set to the tune of a popular song. When the flag arrived at the Smithsonian it was smaller (30 by 34 feet), damaged from years of use at the fort and from pieces being removed as souvenirs. [28], In 1877, the flag was exhibited at the Old South Church in Boston for the nation's first Flag Day celebration. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. One of the soldiers who was in the fort during the 25-hour bombardment wrote, "We were like pigeons tied by the legs to be shot at. The flag we all know as the star-spangled banner is a massive 30 by 42 feet in size and sewn of wool bunting. 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. Key put his thoughts on paper while still on board the ship, setting his words to the tune of a popular English song. This response would not reach ColonelBrooke until noon, when he had advanced within two miles east of the American lines while he and Cockburn surveyed the American lines. Eben immediately wrote to the Secretary of the Smithsonian,Charles D. Walcott. Baltimore privateers were responsible for as much as one-third of all captured British vessels during the war. There were more than 15 states when the flag was made, but there are only 15 stars on the flag. Every purchase supports the mission. "Our goal was to extend [the flag's] usable lifetime," says Suzanne Thomassen-Krauss, the conservator for the project. Having worked on historic flags for the United States Naval Academy, Fowler had patented a method of supporting fragile flags with a linen backing that required a honeycomb pattern of stitches. The flag was sewn by prominent Baltimorean flagmaker Mary Young Pickersgill under a government commission in 1813 at a cost of $405.90 (equivalent to $5,699 in 2021). How it ended United States victory. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. ", The Star-Spangled Banner's history starts not with Francis Scott Key, but a year earlier with Maj. George Armistead, the commander of Fort McHenry. "We didn't want to change any of the history written on the artifact by stains and soil. It is baffling why anyone would fabricate historical facts that would then be assumed to be authentic. At dawn on June 14, 1846, a ragtag group of about 30 gun-toting Americans entered Sonoma, a small town in the Mexican territory of Alta California. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Flag Officer Andrew Foote were commissioned to lead a joint expedition to seize the twin forts. The Battle of Fort McHenry was fought September 13/14, 1814, during the War of 1812 (1812-1815). 15-star flag above Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Md. Only twice in its history has the Star-Spangled Banner been hidden away to keep it safe from war, though America has fought many more wars than that since 1814. The narrator is apparently minister David C. Gibbs Jr. This changed on April 6, 1814, with the defeat and abdication of Napoleon, which freed up veteran troops for a more aggressive strategy. Made in Baltimore, Maryland, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill. The Star-Spangled Banner remained in Flag Hall from 1964 until 1999, when it was moved to the conservation lab. The Battle of Fort Henry, Tennessee occurred as part of a Union plan to open a water route into the Confederate heartland by capturing Forts Henry and Donelson. The hissing rockets and the fiery shells glittered in the air, threatening destruction as they fell,later recalled a young British sailor, in a description that sounds straight out of a poem, Whilst to add solemnity to this scene of devastation, the rain fell in torrents the thunder broke inmighty peals after each successive flash of lightening, that for a moment illuminated the surrounding darkness.But with no coordinated infantry assaults, Cochrane began to draw down his thrust. Volunteers dug huge entrenchments east of town, and the city militia drilled regularly. When he saw the garrison flag flying in the morning, he composed a poem he originally titled "Defence of Fort McHenry". There were 15 American states. A storm still raged around Baltimore as the most tremendous cannonade of the battle took place. [42][43] It was hung in Flag Hall, a three-story central atrium designed for this purpose. This could have resulted from metal buckles or straps or tacks on belts used to hold the flag. He said 'What's the matter with them?' He said 'How are you going to do that?' Major Armistead commissioned Baltimore flag maker Mary Pickersgill to craft this dramatic emblem for his garrison as he was making preparations for Fort McHenrys defense. These are some typical questions people have about customs and rules surrounding African American History Curatorial Collective, the flag's most recent conservation check-up, why the national anthem is so hard to sing, a nationwide sing of the national anthem on Flag Day (June 14, 2014), When lightning strikes: The making and meaning of a patriotic symbol, Rene Fleming's Super Bowl gown: A curatorial jackpot, Pointers from the Flag Code, just in time for Flag Day. Spotted something? In 1814, the United States flag had 15 stars and 15 stripes. Each of the eight stars represented a Confederate state in March 1861 when the flag was adopted. Key was not sent by the American government to negotiate a prisoner exchange. In 1912, Georgiana Armistead Appleton'sson Eben Appleton decided to give the Star-Spangled Banner to the Smithsonian as a permanent gift. Fifteen stars and fifteen stripes (one star has been cut out) Raised over Fort . It was with huge surprise and joy that as dawn broke, he saw, not the Union Jack flying above the fort, but the American flag. The American colonies had prisoners and the British had prisoners and the American government initiated a move, they went to the British and they said 'Let us negotiate for the release of these prisoners.' That same year, Preble had the first known photograph of it taken at the Boston Navy Yard and exhibited it at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, where he stored it until 1876. According to the Smithsonian Archives, this October 1944 photograph shows: "The headquarters area of the United States National Museum storage facilityin Luray, Virginia, near Shenandoah National Park." Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the "Star-Spangled Banner": "And the rocket's red . From the harbor below Fort McHenry, these events were witnessed without understanding that they were standard practice by those aboard a Baltimore packet vessel, President, now serving as the U.S. flag-of-truce vessel. He penned a song that I'm sure you are aware of, you've seen it. During the War of 1812, the people of Baltimore believed that the British would attack the city. Their bodies were removed and others took their place. And Key could not "scan the horizon of the sea" since he was on the river, miles from the Chesapeake Bay and the ocean. Bodies of the dead were not used to hold up the flag pole a 42 by 30 foot flag has to be on a well-anchored pole, not held up by a few dead bodies stacked around it. No, that's not true: The video posted and shared many times on social platforms is filled with major historical inaccuracies and is about as fictional as a "Game of Thrones" episode.
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