Oh say, can you see Fort McHenry?

We went to visit Fort McHenry on Saturday, September 14th.  What a day!  It was the 199th anniversary of the bombardment of the fort during the War of 1812.  Because of the anniversary, the Fort had some fun and meaningful activities.

Many volunteers were dressed in the clothing of the early 1800s.  There were families sharing their daily lives with visitors:

cooking

churning butter

games

There were soldiers all over the fort, playing music, practicing their formation, firing cannons, eating lunch, cleaning up camp, etc.

 The fort itself was very interesting to explore.  Many of the barracks and buildings had exhibits, very well done.  We learned so much!

down into the bomb shelter

What's especially noteable about Fort McHenry is that Francis Scott Key was watching the September bombardment of the fort from the water, wondering all night how the Americans were faring against the British.  Early in the morning, as he saw the flag being hoisted up the fort's flagpole, he was inspired to write the words to The Star Spangled Banner.  I hadn't realized that the flag was not only a symbol of the success of their resisting the bombardment, but also a bold 'in-your-face' statement to the English.  The Americans had earlier presumed that the English would attack here and had a huge flag made ahead of time, stored in a safe place to pull out when the moment was right.

We were especially glad we stayed for the army demonstrations.  Many men demonstrated the clothing, weapons and formations of the soldiers in the battles of the early 1800s.  One man stood on a hill with a microphone, describing what the soldiers were doing and teaching us quite a bit about army life, formations, strategies, etc. 

A good day at Fort McHenry!  (And another stamp for our National Park Passports!)