During the War of 1812, British forces sailed to Baltimore, Maryland, intent on attacking the city. But Baltimore was defended by Fort McHenry--a star-shaped fort perfectly situated on a point jutting into Baltimore Harbor. On the morning of September 13, 1814, the British navy attacked and bombed the fort for 25 hours.

Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment from a ship in Baltimore harbor. After a day of intense bombing, the attack ended. Key looked anxiously for the American flag over the fort. Had the fort been taken? To his relief, he saw the American flag flying above the fort--proof that the British had been repelled. Baltimore and its important port were saved from the threat of a British invasion.

Key immediately expressed his gratitude in a poem—a poem that became "The Star-Spangled Banner," our national anthem.

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