The flag's design was last approved by Congress in 1794, providing for 15 stripes and 15 stars. Let us know!. He withdrew without firing a shot, but outlined a proposalfor two flanking night assaults on the vulnerable American right flank, while a third column would make a feint on the American left after midnight on September 14. The Star-Spangled Banner flag is on display at the National Museum of American History. September 13. He said 'Well, Mr. Key,' he said, 'tonight we have laid an ultimatum upon the colonies. He said 'Don't they understand this is an impossible situation?' Tensions were high in the British command infrastructure. The striking visual has pervaded our national imagination: The first rays of a new day reveal the symbol of a nation young but strong standing defiant in the face of our foes. The British plan to land troops on the eastern side of the city while the navy reduces the fort, allowing for naval support of the ground troops when they attack the citys defenders. Seeing the flag flying over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, after the battle ended, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry". 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. It was another chapter in the ongoing War of 1812. Brooke collects the main body of the British troops and presses forward. All that he (Key) could hear was the men down below praying. The job went out to a 37-year-old widow. Spotted something? MD The British hated the privateers and so despised the Baltimore that they called it a nest of pirates. They vowed to take revenge. Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields Your Gift Tripled! She recommends you brush up on more flag facts by learning about the flag's most recent conservation check-up and finding out why the national anthem is so hard to singbefore joining us in a nationwide sing of the national anthem on Flag Day (June 14, 2014) in honor of its 200th birthday. 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. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. September 14. Key started composing a verse about his experience while still onboard the Tonnant, and once he was safely rowed ashore, he edited the work into four stanzas. In 1913, the National Star-Spangled Banner Centennial Commission in Baltimore asked to borrow the flag for their celebration. Using a storm flag in those conditions would have been standard practice. This was not updated until April 4, 1818, so Pickersgill sewed on 15 stars. At the time, the practice of adding stripes (in addition to stars) with the induction of a new state had not yet been discontinued. The flag wasn't prominently displayed in the South until southern politicians began using it in their campaigns; and . Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use), The Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired our national anthem, A View of the Bombardment of Fort McHenry. 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. Print by J. Bower, Philadelphia, 1816. Recognizing its need for repair, the Smithsonian hired Amelia Fowler, an embroidery teacher and well-known flag preserver, in 1914 to replace the canvas backing that had been added in 1873. 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. (Man's voice) There was a lawyer once, his name was Francis Scott Key. In January of 1862, Brig. Then, in that hour of deliverance and joyful triumph, my heart spoke, and Does not such a country and such defenders of their country deserve a song?' In the first phase, the team removed the linen support backing that was attached to the flag during the 1914 restoration. On August 19, 1813, the flag was delivered to Fort McHenry. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Despite a stalwart initial defense, the Americans begin to give way to the British regulars. The same family that kept the Star-Spangled Banner safe during the Civil War also sympathized with the Confederacy. The admiral came and he said 'Your people are insane.' Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Coming in at 17 x 25 feet, this storm flag was much smaller and was designed to withstand tough weather, such as the raging winds and pouring rain that occurred during the Battle of Baltimore. The Americans withdraw to Baltimore and Brooke halts for the rest of the day to consolidate his forces. [23], In 1873, Appleton lent the flag to George Henry Preble, a naval officer who had written a popular history of the American flag. inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet. Did dead bodies hold up the flag at Fort Mchenry? "Was," because this object at hand, the original Star-Spangled Banner, is no. : Editor-in-Chief Alan Duke co-founded Lead Stories after ending a 26-year career with CNN, where he mainly covered entertainment, current affairs and politics. 100 Years at the Smithsonian, After Georgiana's death, the flag passed to Eben Appleton, Armistead's grandson, who loaned it to the city of Baltimore for the 1880 sesquicentennial celebration. But when he sees the large flag flying over the fort on the morning of September 14, he knows the fort held. [19] It was flown at Fort McHenry in 1824 at a reception for the Marquis de Lafayette during his tour of America. However, scholars continue to debate whether the storm flag flew during 25-hour bombardment. [32][33], The Armistead family occasionally gave away pieces of the flag as souvenirs and gifts.[6]. Rewriting history is a dangerous thing, although the consequences of digesting this particular mythology may not lead to destruction. Nearly two centuries later, the flag that inspired Key still survives, though fragile and worn by the years. 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. He said 'That's, that's a large fort.' Only Mississippi now flies the Confederate battle flag in an official capacity - the state has incorporated a blue cross with 13 stars over a red background since 1894. The Smithsonian has created a permanent exhibition to document the flag's history and significance, called "The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem". Every purchase supports the mission. These ships fire exploding mortar shellsat high angles into the fort. There was no group of prisoners held in the cargo hold of the ship from where Key watched the battle. ", 2400 East Fort Avenue The flag was stitched from a combination of cotton and dyed English wool bunting. There were about 28 American casualties. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Click here to see it. Naval support will be required to dislodge the American forces, and Fort McHenry will have to be eliminated. The prayer 'God, keep that flag flying where we last saw it.'. They made the stars, each measuring two feet in diameter, from cottona luxury item at the time. "Louisa wanted Georgiana to have it.". Yet Key rose on the morning of September 14, 1814 and through the lens of his spyglass saw his nation's 15-star, 15-stripe flag waving defiantly over the fort. It's called the 'National Anthem.' The bombardment began at sunrise, not sunset, and continued for 27 hours. The narrator is apparently minister David C. Gibbs Jr. The Baltimore Patriot newspaper soon printed it, and within weeks, Key's poem, now called "The Star-Spangled Banner," appeared in print across the country, immortalizing his wordsand forever naming the flag it celebrated. In 1814, the United States flag had 15 stars and 15 stripes. 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 . 15-star flag above Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Md. Published: September 9, 2020. He convinced the British to release Beanes. [1] The U.S. Navy term is "holiday colors". The New York Herald Tribune wrote that the song had words that nobody can remember to a tune nobody can sing.. Francis Scott Key stood aboard the deck of an American truce ship on September 14, 1814 and watched the raising of Fort McHenry's large garrison flag over the ramparts. On land, defensive positions were established along North Point to prevent British troops from advancing. She once noted, "[H]ad we given all that we have been importuned for little would be left to show." Georgiana Armistead Appleton,George Armistead's daughter, inherited the flag upon her mother's death in 1861. War & Affiliation War of 1812 / American. [19][20] Some years, it was flown at Baltimore's celebration of Defenders Day, the anniversary of the battle. 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. Military personnel and residents of Baltimore were well aware that they were a target of enemy wrath and started shoring up their defenses. When Confederate soldiers carried their national flag into battle, its stars and stripes led to confusionespecially when the smoke and wind of battle wrapped the flag around its staff. Close-up of Fort McHenry's preserved "Great Garrison Flag" shows the incredible detail and stitching. When Louisa died in 1861, she passed the flag down to their daughter Georgiana Armistead Appleton over the legal objections of their son. 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. See who is sharing it (it might even be your friends) and leave the link in the comments. The restoration was completed in 2008 at a total cost in excess of $21 million. Without this can be done it will only bethrowing the Men's lives away:. Her son George was even arrested in 1861 for trying to sneak into Virginia to join the Confederate Army. As twilight began to fall and as the haze hung over the ocean as it does at sunset, suddenly, the British war fleet unleashed. The American defenders hold initially, inflicting heavy casualties and resorting to firing scrap metal from their cannon because of a lack of canister. [47] Planning and executing a cleaning treatment for the flag following scientific analysis was the third phase. Their bodies were removed and others took their place. The harbors 122 American privateering vessels would ultimately cause some 16 million dollars of damage to the enemy. Lead Stories is a U.S. based fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or 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. The fort suffered only light damage from the 1,500 cannonballs, rockets and shells fired upon it. according to scholars at Washington's presidential library. The two additional stars and stripes, approved by the United States Congress's Flag Act of 1794, represent Vermont and Kentucky's entrance into the Union. The British attack on Baltimore had began in earnest. Was the flag at Fort McHenry held up bodies? 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. Join us online July 24-26! By noon it started to rain. He (the British admiral) said 'Don't worry about it.' another account of the battle of Fort McHenry. [34][36][37] The flag was restored by Amelia Fowler in 1914. (Image:93-13286-2 and SIA2008-2449.). To the best of our knowledge, the British did not specifically target the flag. 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. [4][5] Each of the fifteen stripes is 2 feet (0.61m) wide, and each of the stars measures about 2 feet (0.61m) in diameter. The intent was never to make the flag look as it did when it first flew over Fort McHenry, she says. [27] It was intended to be exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, but was not displayed because of fears it would be damaged. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. When markings on the flag were investigated and analyzed, they were found to be from iron corrosion. Capitalize these words when they designate regions. Armistead remained in command of Fort McHenry for the rest of his life. While ordering his men to drive off the American riflemen, Ross is shot in the chest and dies a few hours later. Volunteers dug huge entrenchments east of town, and the city militia drilled regularly. The government, therefore, turned to the many merchants and private sailors inhabiting its ports, issuing licenses to those who wished to gain financially from capturing enemy vessels. which was built in 1798. The British hoped the loss of both Washington and Baltimore would cripple the American war effort and force peace. In 1912, Georgiana Armistead Appleton'sson Eben Appleton decided to give the Star-Spangled Banner to the Smithsonian as a permanent gift. More than 1,500 cannonballs, shells, and rockets are fired, but only inflict light damage thanks to fortification efforts completed before the battle. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Keeping their stars on the national flag signified that continued solidarity. Again, this is an imaginary conversation. 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. Major General Robert Ross was sent to command all British forces on the East Coast of the United States, with Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane leading a fleet of warships. He says 'It's predominantly not a military fort.' "It's exciting to realize that you're looking at the very same flag that Francis Scott Key saw on that September morning in 1814. Armistead ordered the large wool flag taken down and Pickersgill's smaller 17' x 25' foot storm flag hoisted. Part of the larger Battle of Baltimore, the Battle of Fort McHenry saw the fort's garrison defeat a British fleet that had been advancing on the city. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. Spotted something? American forces resistedthe dramaticBritish bombardmentof Fort McHenry and proved they could stand up to a great world power. It is she who is thought to have sewed the red upside-down "V" on the flag, beginning the stitches for the letter "A." [25] Preble had the flag quilted to a canvas sail, and unfurled it at the Boston Navy Yard to take the first known photograph of it. "The fact that it has been entrusted to the National Museum of American History is an honor.". When he saw the garrison flag flying in the morning, he composed a poem he originally titled "Defence of Fort McHenry". We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. There were about 28 American casualties. 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. How it ended United States victory. In February 1815, the storm flag was lost to history after being replaced by a new one from the Schuylkill Arsenal in Philadelphia. George Washington never said that. The British were intent on removing any threat from Fort McHenry ahead of an assault to capture Baltimore. 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. If you want to know the true and remarkable history of the origins of the American national anthem, we suggest you click here for the Smithsonian magazine account or here for another account of the battle of Fort McHenry. At 30 by 42. To preserve this American icon, experts at the National Museum of American History recently completed an eight-year conservation treatment with funds from Polo Ralph Lauren, The Pew Charitable Trusts and the U.S. Congress. The final poem, called The Defense of Fort MHenry, was printed and later set to the tune of a popular song. [31], Eben Appleton was highly protective of the flag and disliked the attention it brought him. In fact, military posts traditionally lower the American flag at night. You can also view this Smithsonian Channel video on YouTube. At that time, it was the practice to add one star and stripe for each new state joining the Union. 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. F or as famous as it is, the so-called Star-Spangled Banner is shrouded in plenty of misconceptions. 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. During the Civil War, the Union flag continued to include a star for each state in the Unioneven those states that had seceded. He said 'Tonight, I have negotiated successfully your return to the colonies.' 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. The British naval arc stretched across the Patapsco two miles below Fort McHenry, keeping distance from the forts powerful 36-pounder French naval shore batteries. Started in 1996, the Star-Spangled Banner preservation projectwhich includes the flag's conservation and the creation of its new display in the renovated museumwas planned with the help of historians, conservators, curators, engineers and organic scientists. Their goal was to push through the narrow passage, past Fort McHenry and through to the city itself, in concert with the planned infantry assault from the northwest. 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. Made in Baltimore, Maryland, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill. These troops were able to draw fire from the fort, but did not draw troops away from Baltimore. inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet. A week earlier, Francis Scott Key, a 35-year-old American lawyer, had boarded the flagship of the British fleet on the Chesapeake Bay in hopes of persuading the British to release a friend who had recently been arrested. Duke closely covered domestic terrorism cases for CNN, including the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, the UNABOMBER and search for Southeast bomber Eric Robert Rudolph. Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields Your Gift Tripled! The death toll suffered at the fort was four, with 25 wounded. Also, there were no large groups of American prisoners held in the cargo hold of boats. And he said 'Men, I've got news for you tonight. While the home where he lived in 1814 is no longer standing, there is a monument at its former site of 34th and M Street. a star-shaped fort perfectly situated on the Baltimore Harbor. And they said 'How many ships?' 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. Among the 20 low-draft vessels, primarily frigates and schooners, of the British squadron, five were particularly ominous. By early morning of September 14, it was over. "The Star-Spangled Banner" song turns 200 this year. The museum removed 1.7 million stitches (a previous preservation attempt) from the Star-Spangled Banner. 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. President Abraham Lincoln maintained that those states never really left the nation but were merely in rebellion. 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. The imposing Fort McHenry, at the mouth of the inner harbor, provided the linchpin for the American defenses. Right or left hand? He said 'The war is over, these men will be free anyway.'. Georgiana, herself, had given away cuttings of the flag to other Armistead descendants, as well as family friends. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Flag Officer Andrew Foote were commissioned to lead a joint expedition to seize the twin forts. South Carolina's confederate flag hasn't been flying since the Civil War. The flag and many other treasures were crated up and sent to Luray, Virginia, for safekeeping. Its message was clear: The British threat had passed, and Baltimore was saved. 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." The failed bombardment of Fort McHenryforces Brooke to abandon the land assault on Baltimore. Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. 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 short video below introduces a method used by Amelia Fowler, who was hired in 1914 to help preserve the flag. The British forces did not place "an ultimatum upon the colonies." First, there were no "colonies" in 1814. They appeared over time as the iron particles corroded. How long did the star-spangled banner wave? Alanstudt.com A t 6:30 a.m., on September 13, 1814, the first of an estimated 1,800 cast-iron bomb shells were hurled at the masonry walls of Fort McHenry. [40][41], In 1964, the flag was moved across the National Mall to the newly opened Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History). The garrison flag, according to eyewitness accounts, wasn't raised until the morning. Often lost in the near-mythic symbolism attached to this moment in the American consciousness is the fact that Fort McHenrys commander, Major George Armistead, did not order the flag hoisted in a special act of triumph or defiance. March 1, 2007 A conservator works on the Star-Spangled Banner in 1914. Now, here are the most obvious ways this video is filled with fake history: Francis Scott Key was a lawyer in Baltimore. On September 12, 1814, 5,000 British soldiers and a fleet of 19 ships attacked Baltimore. And what he found had happened was that flag pole and that flag had suffered repetitious direct hits, and when hit had fallen, but men, fathers, who knew what it meant for that flag to be on the ground, although knowing that all of the British guns were trained on it, walked over and held it up humanly until they died.

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