Existing comment:
O' Say Can You See
Preserved as a Nation
News of Baltimore's defiant stand spread quickly. So did a new song written by a Marylander who witnessed the attack. American victories here and in Plattsburg, New York, helped nudge Britain toward peace. And Francis Scott Key's "Star-Spangled Banner" gave voice to a new sense of American unity and resolve.
The signing of the Treaty of Ghent on Christmas Eve, 1814, formally ended the War of 1812. Before word reached the United States, American troops at New Orleans under Andrew Jackson had defeated British forces -- many of whom were veterans of the Battle of Baltimore. On the high seas, Baltimore privateers continued seizing British ships well until Spring 1815, long past congressional ratification of the treaty.
A Bicentennial Commemoration
Join Us
Maryland is throwing a Star-Spangled celebration that you don't want to miss. Sing the National Anthem in the city where it was born. Help us unfurl our 15-star flag. Fall in for field drills. Scramble up the ramparts. Help us raise our sails. Become a Citizen-Soldier in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
You will find plenty to do for the entire family along the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, a permanent legacy of the bicentennial, and by visiting www.StarSpangled200.org |