Fort McHenry

Fort McHenry, former U.S. military post in Baltimore harbor; built 1794–1805. In the War of 1812 it was bombarded (Sept. 13–14, 1814) by a British fleet under Sir Alexander Cochrane, but the fort, commanded by Maj. George Armistead, resisted the attack. Its defense inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.” During the Civil War the fort was a Union prison camp. Restored in 1933, it became Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (see National Parks and Monuments, table).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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