Monday, August 25, 2014

Fort McHenry and the Star Spangled Celebration

There are many places in the United States of historical significance and the mid-Atlantic region is no exception. In fact, the area landscape is dotted with historical markers, buildings, bridges, and grounds.  I would like to spotlight one location that is highly rated and of great importance to visit.  I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting but I will soon.  That place is Fort McHenry.    


Photo of Fort McHenry courtesy www.fortwiki.com via CC Share Alike license
Have you heard of Fort McHenry? Before moving to this area, that name would have been something that sounded vaguely familiar but I would not have been able to pull any details from the storage files in my mind.  I guess that goes to show that students should pay more attention in school. I should have anyway.

In the event that you too daydreamed through high school, this list may jog your memory

  • The War of 1812 had begun and was still raging.
  • The Battle of Baltimore occurred on September 13-14, 1814
  • The star-shaped Fort McHenry and the people who battled there were able to withstand 25 hours of bombardment by the British Navy.
  • This battle inspired Frances Scott Key to write the song: Star-Spangled Banner
You may wonder why I'm choosing to tell you about Fort McHenry now, especially since I have yet to visit. It is because I want to spread the word about the Star-Spangled Spectacular September 10-16, 2014. 

Over the years, each celebration at Fort McHenry has been showcased in the local news, and each year I think, "I won't miss next years celebration"  This year's celebration is the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner and I find myself thinking, "I don't want you to miss this celebration". 

For more information and other reviews about Fort McHenry from travelers who have been there check out the tripadvisor reviews.   

As I shared with you, I am not a history buff.  I know the bare basics of some bits of history.  While searching for something that teaches the history of the War of 1812 or the Battle of Baltimore, I came across this highly recommended book 1812: The Navy's War by George C. Daughan.  I cannot bring myself to learn about history through dry factual texts. I can learn history, and enjoy it, through factual story-telling.  This book is highly recommended both for it's readability and for it's factual accounts.  If you'd like to know more about this history, be sure to check out this book.


*note: the amazon affiliate link is not mine. I do not make any profit from the sale of this book. Thank you Ruth for letting me use your link to share this book with others.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


11 comments:

  1. Oh, I want to go to the Spectacular Celebration! My husband it the history buff of our union, but he kindly takes me along when he visits historical places. You will often find us at such places with heads bent together as he shares his knowledge. Oh, and btw, I love the shape of the fort! And, how very cool to know this was the place of inspiration for The Star Spangled Banner.

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    1. Isn't the shape of the Fort amazing? How did they build it like that, so long ago? Gorgeous.

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  2. Replies
    1. I think it sounds fun too.. I so want to go this year.

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  3. With it being the 200th anniversary of our national anthem, it would surely be great to be a part of the Star Spangled Spectacular celebration in Maryland! I do hope you make it there for the festivities.

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  4. Sounds like a great celebration...thanks for spreading the word.

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    1. Thank you Mary Beth. I hate when I miss a festival or event because there wasn't enough advertising. That's why I feel the need to spread the word.

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  5. oh, I had no idea! love bits of history like this. Very interesting about the inspiration for the Star Spangled Banner - funny I follow a little bit of history (here and there) and had never heard this before - maybe you set us up to win a question on cash cab! lol - love this

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    1. Cash Cab!!! Let's hope so. Wouldn't that be great to win on a Star-Spangled Banner question?!

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  6. I'd love for our family to be able to go to the anniversary celebration. The guys are history buffs and I really love knowing the history behind the poem, which I had to memorize in fourth grade (all of it). I know that some people want to change the national anthem to something easier to sing, but I love The Star-Spangled Banner.

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