During the war of 1812, on September 12th of 1914, the British attempted to sieze Baltimore (having already captured Washington D.C. and burned the White House). Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer, was aboard one of the British ships attacking Fort McHenry. On the morning of September 14th, the British withdrew, having been unable to take the fort. The flag that was flying today was indentical in size and design that Key saw on that morning, inspiring him to write the poem that later became the Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem.

Fascinating visit.