What is the significance of the battle of ft. mchenry

With Ross' death, command devolved to Colonel Arthur Brooke who elected to remain on the field through a rainy night while Stricker's men withdraw back to the city. While Brooke's men suffered in the rain, Cochrane began moving his fleet up the Patapsco River toward the city's harbor defenses.

These were anchored on the star-shaped Fort McHenry. Situated on Locust Point, the fort guarded the approaches to the Northwest Branch of the Patapsco which led to the city as well as the Middle Branch of the river. Early on September 13, Brooke began advancing towards the city along the Philadelphia Road.

In the Patapsco, Cochrane was hampered by shallow waters which precluded sending forward his heaviest ships. As a result, his attack force consisted of five bomb ketches, 10 smaller warships, and the rocket vessel HMS Erebus. Remaining out of range of Armistead's guns, the British ships struck the fort with heavy mortar shells bombs and Congreve rockets from Erebus.

Advancing ashore, Brooke, who believed they had defeated city's defenders the day before, was stunned when his men found 12, Americans behind substantial earthworks east of the city. Under orders not to attack unless with a high chance of success, he began probing Smith's lines but was unable to find a weakness.

As a result, he was forced to hold his position and await the outcome of Cochrane's assault on the harbor. Early in the afternoon, Rear Admiral George Cockburn, thinking the fort had been badly damaged, moved the bombardment force closer increase the effectiveness of their fire.

As the ships closed, they came under intense fire from Armistead's guns and were compelled to draw back to their original positions. In effort to break the stalemate, the British attempted to move around the fort after dark. Embarking 1, men in small boats, they rowed up the Middle Branch. Mistakenly thinking they were safe, this assault force fired signal rockets which gave away their position. As a result, they quickly came under an intense crossfire from Forts Covington and Babcock.

Taking heavy losses, the British withdrew. By dawn, with the rain subsiding, the British had fired between 1, and 1, rounds at the fort with little impact. The greatest moment of danger had come when a shell struck the fort's unprotected magazine but had failed to explode.

Realizing the potential for disaster, Armistead had the fort's gunpowder supply distributed to safer locations. As the sun began to rise, he ordered the fort's small storm flag lowered and replaced with the standard garrison flag measuring 42 feet by 30 feet. Sewn by local seamstress Mary Pickersgill , the flag was clearly visible to all of the ships in the river. The sight of the flag and the ineffectiveness of the hour bombardment convinced Cochrane that the harbor could not be breached.

Ashore, Brooke, with no support from the navy, decided against a costly attempt on the American lines and began retreating towards North Point where his troops re-embarked. The attack on Fort McHenry cost Armistead's garrison 4 killed and 24 wounded. British losses were around killed, wounded, and captured, most of which occurred during the ill-fated attempt to move up the Middle Branch.

The successful defense of Baltimore coupled with victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh aided in restoring American pride after the burning of Washington DC and bolstered the nation's bargaining position at the Ghent peace talks. Detained aboard the ship Minden , Key had gone to meet with the British to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes who had been arrested during the attack on Washington.

Having overhead the British attack plans, Key was forced to remain with the fleet for the duration of the battle. The barrage was actually cover for a raid, with troops from several barges preparing to slip past the fort and outflank the American infantry. The barges were sighted, however, and the fort aimed its fire at them, scoring direct hits and sinking a couple as the others retreated back to the fleet.

The British fleet and Fort McHenry exchanged intermittent fire as dawn approached, and the exhausted men on both sides struggled to stay awake. The British had failed to destroy the fort, however, and finally sailed off. The American defenders for their part were relieved to have survived the British onslaught and were exultant, despite their fatigue. The rising sun was hidden for a while in a cloudy, misty morning. Francis Scott Key was observing from a ship in the harbor when rays of sunlight illuminated the storm flag waving in a slight breeze.

A morning shot pierced the air, and the immense byfoot star-spangled banner was raised as the men stood at attention. Key pulled a letter from his pocket and started to jot words and notes on it for a song that came to mind. The American forces had redeemed themselves at Baltimore after the national humiliation in Washington, DC.

Only a few months later, on December 24, U. In this depiction of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, all the American delegates shown on the right side of the picture are dressed in plain clothes symbolic of a republic. The British negotiators wear formal court dress, which was the standard in nineteenth-century diplomacy. But a state of war is desired by no man;.

It is very certain that no good citizen of the United States would wantonly promote a rupture with Great Britain, or any other country.

The American people will never wage offensive war; but every feeling of the heart is interested to preserve the rights our fathers won by countless hardships and innumerable sufferings.

Every measure that Forbearance, could devise, has been resorted to — and we have suffered injuries, particularly in the wealth of our citizens, which no independent nation ever submitted to.

Embargo was tried: through the timidity of the 10th congress, excited by the insolent clamors of a small, but wicked, portion of the people, aided by the inefficiency of the laws for enforcing it, it failed of its foreign operation. The conquest of Canada will be of the highest importance to us in distressing our enemy, in cutting off his supplies of provisions and naval stores for his West India colonies and home demand. Treaty of Ghent, Borneman, Walter R.

New York: Harper, Hickey, Donald R. The War of A Forgotten Conflict. Taylor, Alan. New York: Vintage, Vogel, Steve. New York: Random House, Barges were stretched across the watery approaches creating choke points, and channels were left open to lure the British ships into kill zones.

Volunteers dug huge entrenchments east of town, and the city militia drilled regularly. On land, defensive positions were established along North Point to prevent British troops from advancing. Thanks to these early and exhaustive plans, the British were repulsed at Fort McHenry in and abandoned their Chesapeake Campaign. Each of its 15 stars measures about two feet across and each of its 15 stripes are about two feet wide.

He wanted to be sure the British could see the United States colors from their distant warships. Or, maybe it was another flag. Some historians believe that a smaller, 17 by foot storm flag may have flown over Fort McHenry during the rainy evening of the bombardment. Using a storm flag in those conditions would have been standard practice. We have Francis Scott Key to thank for the mix-up.

Key, a year-old lawyer and amateur poet was detained on the British ship Tonnant off the cost of Baltimore when the bombardment began.

He had successfully negotiated with the British for the release of an American prisoner but was held onboard because an assault was imminent. It was with huge surprise and joy that as dawn broke, he saw, not the Union Jack flying above the fort, but the American flag. But the inspiring banner he glimpsed may only have been raised at daylight. Key started composing a verse about his experience while still onboard the Tonnant , and once he was safely rowed ashore, he edited the work into four stanzas.

But not everyone was a fan. Fort McHenry. Maryland Sep 13, How it ended United States victory. In context Initially, the British strategy during the War of had been defensive. During the Battle. United States. United Kingdom. United States 1, Aftermath United States. Estimated Casualties. United States Questions to Consider 1. Why were the citizens of Baltimore so well prepared for a British attack? Fort McHenry: Featured Resources.