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1805: A New Fort and a New Flag
Although the United States won its independence in 1783, the threat of foreign invasion remained. To protect the young republic, the federal government launched an ambitious program of building forts near America's primary cities along the East Coast. Fort McHenry was one of those forts.
Completed in 1805 and named after the Secretary of War, James McHenry, the new fort boasted five points or "bastions," accommodations for over 150 soldiers and a line of heavy artillery aimed downriver.
The first flag to fly over the newly constructed ramparts was a 15-star, 15-stripe banner, reflecting the recently added states of Vermont and Kentucky. |