Is the "Our National Anthem" video produced by Robert Surgernor the true story of "The Star Spangled Banner"? The admiral came and he said 'Your people are insane.' Historians are not sure how the Armistead family came into possession of the flag, but upon Armistead's death in 1818, his wife Louisa inherited it. [18] Upon his death in 1818, the flag passed to his widow, Louisa Hughes Armistead. In fact, military posts traditionally lower the American flag at night. The same family that kept the Star-Spangled Banner safe during the Civil War also sympathized with the Confederacy. It is likely that they kept the flag hidden in their home in Baltimore for the duration of the war, but Margaret Appleton Baker, Georgiana's daughter, told theNew York Heraldin 1895 that the flag had actually been sent to England. The British were intent on removing any threat from Fort McHenry ahead of an assault to capture Baltimore. But not everyone was a fan. Five years later, he made the gift permanent, saying he wanted it to belong "to the Institution in the country where it could be conveniently seen by the public and where it would be well cared for.". The most-viewed version of the video is a post (archived here) published on July 4, 2014, under the title "Our National Anthem." The British set sail for New Orleans. He says 'It's predominantly not a military fort.' This British defeat was a turning point in the War of 1812, leading both sides to reach a peace agreement later that year. [53] The framed remnant came with a faded, hand-written note attesting it was "A piece of the Flag which floated over Fort McHenry at the time of the bombardment when Key's (sic) composed the Song of the Star Spangled Banner, presented by Sam Beth Cohen. This British defeat was a turning point in the War of 1812, leading both sides to reach a peace agreement later that year. Accordingly, he launched a late evening diversionary barge attack on the western shore, the backdoor of the American land defenses. Armistead ordered the large wool flag taken down and Pickersgill's smaller 17' x 25' foot storm flag hoisted. It is for Colonel Brooke to consider under such circumstances whether he has Force sufficient to defeat so large a number as it [is] saidthe Enemy has collected; say 20,000 strong. Duke closely covered domestic terrorism cases for CNN, including the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, the UNABOMBER and search for Southeast bomber Eric Robert Rudolph. American forces resistedthe dramaticBritish bombardmentof Fort McHenry and proved they could stand up to a great world power. They were holding the American prisoners in boats about a thousand yards offshore. Joining them is the rocket ship HMSErebus, which launches the newly invented Congreve rockets. 2. "The Star-Spangled Banner is a symbol of American history that ranks with the Statue of Liberty and the Charters of Freedom," says Brent D. Glass, the museum's director. Francis Scott Key said what held that flag at that unusual angle were patriots' bodies. These are some typical questions people have about customs and rules surrounding African American History Curatorial Collective, the flag's most recent conservation check-up, why the national anthem is so hard to sing, a nationwide sing of the national anthem on Flag Day (June 14, 2014), When lightning strikes: The making and meaning of a patriotic symbol, Rene Fleming's Super Bowl gown: A curatorial jackpot, Pointers from the Flag Code, just in time for Flag Day. They said 'We've left them a way out,' and he said 'What's that?' He convinced the British to release Beanes. Fort McHenry, Sept. 24th, 1814. [42][43] It was hung in Flag Hall, a three-story central atrium designed for this purpose. Through the clouds of the war the stars of that banner still shone in my view, and I saw the discomforted host of its assailants driven back in ignominy to theirships. [23], In 1873, Appleton lent the flag to George Henry Preble, a naval officer who had written a popular history of the American flag. Mary Pickersgill (born Mary Young; February 12, 1776 - October 4, 1857) was the maker, along with thirteen-year-old Grace Wisher, her African American enslaved servant, of the Star-Spangled Banner hoisted over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.The daughter of another noted flag maker, Rebecca Young, Pickersgill learned her craft from her mother, and, in 1813, was . More than 1,500 cannonballs, shells, and rockets are fired, but only inflict light damage thanks to fortification efforts completed before the battle. For three hours, the bombardment proceeded through lashing rain, thunder and lightning. [48], Following the reopening of the museum on November 21, 2008, the flag is now on display in a two-story display chamber that allows it to lie at a 10-degree angle in dim light. These ships fire exploding mortar shellsat high angles into the fort. Everything was made ready at Fort McHenry to defend Baltimore. The bombardment, known as the Battle of Baltimore, came only weeks after the British had attacked Washington, D.C., burning the Capitol, the Treasury and the President's house. (Image:93-13286-2 and SIA2008-2449.). The video opened: (Written text on screen) We guarantee that you will NEVER feel the same way again when you sing this song at a sporting event after you hear this story! [1] The U.S. Navy term is "holiday colors". Published: September 9, 2020. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website. And they said 'We want to send a man by the name of Francis Scott Key. The flag was sewn by prominent Baltimorean flagmaker Mary Young Pickersgill under a government commission in 1813 at a cost of $405.90 (equivalent to $5,699 in 2021). More broadly, a garrison flag is a U.S. Army term for an extra-large national flag that is flown on Sundays, holidays, and special occasions. Regulations of the War Department: Each morning began with a round from a six-pounder and musical accompaniment as the flag was lifted aloft. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! Key put his thoughts on paper while still on board the ship, setting his words to the tune of a popular English song. Each star, by the way, is made of cotton and was created by reverse applicqu method. [25] Preble had the flag quilted to a canvas sail, and unfurled it at the Boston Navy Yard to take the first known photograph of it. 1. : Editor-in-Chief Alan Duke co-founded Lead Stories after ending a 26-year career with CNN, where he mainly covered entertainment, current affairs and politics. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. In 1813,Mary Pickersgill, a Baltimore flagmaker, was commissioned to make two flags for Fort McHenry. "There's a legend that the star was buried with one of the soldiers from Fort McHenry; another says that it was given to Abraham Lincoln," says Kendrick. Cookie Policy How and when this occurred is unclear. She is also thought to have begun the tradition of giving pieces of the flag away to honor her husband's memory, as well as the memories of the soldiers who defended the fort under his command. Scott S. Sheads is a retired ranger-historian and Historic Weapons Officer at Fort McHenry National Historic Site and Shrine in Baltimore, Md., a position he took up in 1979. With the recent completion of the project, the Star-Spangled Banner will remain an icon of American history that can still be seen by the public. He served as a co-historian for the Smithsonian Institutions Saving the Star-Spangled Banner Project, and for the National Park Services The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail study. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine Visitor Center. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. Every purchase supports the mission. [2], With fifteen stripes, the Star-Spangled Banner remains the only official American flag to bear more than thirteen stripes.[3]. She received another $168.54 for sewing a smaller (17 by 25 feet) storm flag, likely using the same design. Having worked on historic flags for the United States Naval Academy, Fowler had patented a method of supporting fragile flags with a linen backing that required a honeycomb pattern of stitches. As for those "hundreds of little dots," the British naval forces in the area numbered about 50 vessels. Volunteers dug huge entrenchments east of town, and the city militia drilled regularly. Their vessel had been held in security by Cochranes flagship HMS Surprise out of range of the American guns. He said 'That's, that's a large fort.' The Baltimore Patriot newspaper soon printed it, and within weeks, Key's poem, now called "The Star-Spangled Banner," appeared in print across the country, immortalizing his wordsand forever naming the flag it celebrated. For the next 27 hours, in driving rain, the warships hammer the fort. F or as famous as it is, the so-called Star-Spangled Banner is shrouded in plenty of misconceptions. Did dead bodies hold up the flag at Fort McHenry? At that time, it was the practice to add one star and stripe for each new state joining the Union. They were infamous bomb ships, with names that hawked of their ominous purpose HMS Devastation, Meteor, Aetna, Volcano and Terror capable of hurtling a 200-pound shell one mile high before it plunged in its downward arc over the Patapsco River to its target. For example, it claims the song was written during the American Revolution, although it was penned more than three decades later in September 1814 -- in the final months of the War of 1812. He was on an American truce ship at the time. Eben immediately wrote to the Secretary of the Smithsonian,Charles D. Walcott. Museums often lend objects and artifacts to each other in order to tell more complete stories. The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Help Save 820 Acres at Five Virginia Battlefields, Save 343 Acres at FIVE Battlefields in FOUR Western Theater States, Save 42 Historic Acres at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Phase Three of Gaines Mill-Cold Harbor Saved Forever Campaign, An Unparalleled Preservation Opportunity at Gettysburg Battlefield. The ships got closer, Francis Scott Key went back up top and he said 'Men, I will shout down to you what's going on as we watch.'. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. [27] It was intended to be exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, but was not displayed because of fears it would be damaged. 100 Years at the Smithsonian, After Georgiana's death, the flag passed to Eben Appleton, Armistead's grandson, who loaned it to the city of Baltimore for the 1880 sesquicentennial celebration. "I gave the flag to the National Museum with the firm and settled intention of having it remain there forever," he wrote, "and regarded the acceptance of the gift by the Authorities of the Museum as evidence of their willingness to comply with this condition", Eben asked Walcott to ensure that any "citizen who visits the museum with the expectation of seeing the flag be sure of finding it in its accustomed place.". "The Star-Spangled Banner" song turns 200 this year. After the Battle of Baltimore. While there are some details that differ from the Surgernor video, it is the same story. After the death ofCol. George Armistead, who was commander of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, the flag passed to his daughter Georgiana Armistead Appleton. ", Three of the 15 stars on the Star-Spangled Banner. There were 15 American states. Corbis On a rainy September 13, 1814, British warships sent a downpour of shells and rockets onto Fort McHenry in. A Brief History of Steamboat Racing in the U.S. Texas-Born Italian Noble Evicted From Her 16th-Century Villa. The British naval arc stretched across the Patapsco two miles below Fort McHenry, keeping distance from the forts powerful 36-pounder French naval shore batteries. One of the soldiers who was in the fort during the 25-hour bombardment wrote, "We were like pigeons tied by the legs to be shot at. You'll also see Duke in many news documentaries, including on the Reelz channel, CNN and HLN. With the construction of the conservation lab completed in 1999, conservators began their work. Francis Scott Key went aboard and immediately went into Fort Henry to see what had happened.
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