The Battle of Baltimore Needs More Recognition

When most of us think about the War of 1812, the first conflict that comes to mind

is the Battle of New Orleans, where Andrew Jackson beat back the British and scored a convincing victory for the United States of America.

That battle helped propel Jackson to the presidency a few years later, and it has been my experience that if you ask most people about that war, that is what they remember from their history classes, and with good reason.

I went through two of my old U.S. history text books the other day, one from high school and the other from college, and found that one of the most significant conflicts in the War of 1812, the Battle of Baltimore, was pretty much glossed over. That is really unfortunate.

Perhaps it is the fact that I was born in Baltimore or just that I am a history buff, but this battle halted a British invasion and was a major moral victory for the Americans. It also inspired Francis Scott Key to write a poem called "Defense of Fort McHenry," which would become the "Star-Spangled Banner," our national anthem.

After capturing Washington, D.C., in 1814 and burning the White House, the British sent a fleet up the Potomac River to try to take Baltimore. After a full night of fighting in what would come to be called the Battle of Baltimore, the Americans successfully defended Fort McHenry and forced a British retreat.

Francis Scott Key, who was a Washington, D.C. lawyer, was on a British ship trying to negotiate the release of a doctor who had been captured by the British. He fully expected to see the British flag flying over the fort the next morning, but when he looked out, the American flag was still waving in the air.

I always remember learning in school that Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star-Spangled Banner," but there was not a whole lot to the story beyond that. When I started getting more into history as I got older and learned more about the Battle of Baltimore, I realized just exactly how important it was turning the tide of the War of 1812 and preserving our country's independence.

Reading about the Battle of Baltimore always fills me with a great sense of pride, because it is my hometown and it was such an important battle. I have been to Fort McHenry National Monument and toured the facilities, and it always gives me chills when I look out onto the Patapsco River and imagine a fleet of British vessels preparing to attack.

The Battle of Baltimore was a key moment in American history. I just wish that more people knew more about it, and how important it actually was.

The Battle of Baltimore Needs More Recognition

By: Mary Christine

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