Statement

In September of 1814, 1,000 American patriots heroically defended our young Nation’s sovereignty at the Battle of Fort McHenry, where they halted the British invasion of Baltimore in a critical turning point in the War of 1812. Despite relentless cannon bombardment from the most powerful navy of its age, American forces stood strong. When dawn broke the next morning, the majestic Stars and Stripes remained proudly flying in full glory over the war-torn Fort McHenry.

The battle came at a perilous moment in our young Nation. British troops had stormed through the United States, setting fire to the White House and United States Capitol in a campaign to crush American willpower and restore British dominion over our hemisphere. After their attack on Washington, the British turned their sights north toward Baltimore with the aim of capturing one of America’s most vital seaports and forcing a surrender on their terms. With the future of our young Nation at stake, the citizens of Maryland rallied to arms, forming a militia and preparing their city for battle. Standing watch at Fort McHenry, these courageous soldiers and volunteers steeled themselves to defend the stronghold that guarded Baltimore Harbor.

On the morning of September 13, the British began their brutal naval assault on Fort McHenry, firing a barrage of exploding rockets and cannonballs. For 27 long, grueling hours, the American soldiers at Fort McHenry endured withering fire from the British fleet, but their unflinching resolve and masterful defenses saved the fort from destruction. Exhausted, frustrated, and dismayed, British troops abandoned their failed assault the next morning, sailing away in retreat.

Watching the battle unfold from a nearby ship, American lawyer Francis Scott Key feared the fort had succumbed to the British bombardment overnight. But when the dawn’s early light gleamed on the fort the next morning, Key’s anxious eyes beheld Old Glory gallantly streaming high in defiance and proudly signaling an American victory. Struck with a patriotic zeal, he immortalized America’s triumph that day by writing the most legendary ode to freedom ever put to paper: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” now enshrined as our National Anthem.

Two hundred and twelve years after this seminal battle, we honor the unwavering determination and persistence of the American forces that fought to preserve our Nation’s freedom at Fort McHenry. Their sacrifice and courage remind us that our freedom only endures through the tenacity and resolution of the patriots willing to defend it, both at home and abroad.