Today in History, September 13, 1814:
The War of 1812 had been raging for two years. The British had burned DC and had set their sights on Baltimore. During the siege, a local doctor was taken prisoner and was being held onboard a British warship.
A lawyer friend of his journeyed to Baltimore to negotiate his release, and succeeded.
However, the British will not release them until the next day.
Thus attorney Francis Scott Key had a front row seat to a lengthy bombardment of Ft. McHenry in an attempt to reduce the fort.
Key was inspired by the fact that the American flag was still standing after the failed attack, and sat to pen a poem, “The Defense of Ft. McHenry”.
Today we know his poem as “The Star Spangled Banner”.
Mark Loves History! 