The Story Of The Star Spangled Banner

The future of the young United States looked bleak as the summer of 1814 entered its final weeks. The “Second War for American Independence”, often called the “War of 1812”, had taken a perilous turn for the upstart Americans. On August 19, British warships sailed up Chesapeake Bay and captured Washington D.C. in only five days. President Madison and other government officials barely escaped the city before the Redcoats set fire to the US Capitol, the White House, and numerous public buildings. As if by divine intervention, a torrential rainstorm struck just in time to save the city from total destruction.
From Washington, the British planned a massive attack on Baltimore. Incidental to the events leading up to the assault, American physician William Beanes was t View the rest of this article