The White House went up in flames. The U.S. invaded Canada. And bombs rained down on Baltimore inspiring the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Was this the Revolution? The Civil War? Few Americans could accurately place these events as key turning points in the War of 1812. That is unless they live in Baltimore.
Here in Charm City, the War of 1812 -- a historical footnote for most Americans--has its own band of historical re-enactors, known as the Fort McHenry Guard. This dedicated band of volunteers dress in period costume and re-enact the Battle of Baltimore, the nighttime bombardment of Fort McHenry stirred Francis Scott Key to write the words to the National Anthem.
The men and women of the Fort McHenry Guard, many of whom are retirees and all of whom are history buffs, re-enact parts of the Battle of Baltimore every September for Defender’s Day. And every weekend in the summer they give performances about daily life at Fort McHenry.
|| See the Guard on Saturdays and Sundays from May to September from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fort McHenry ||
Even former Baltimore mayor, now Maryland's governor, Martin O’Malley, has been known to get in on the action, donning the colorful military regalia of a colonel for some of the Guard’s performances.
Re-enactors – also known as living history interpreters – turn dusty historical facts into vivid, compelling tales of intrigue and deprivation by dressing the part and adopting the dialog of their 18th-century counterparts. Some, like those at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia’s re-creation of a Revolution-era city, stay in character eliminating any acknowledgement of modern life in their interactions with the public. But others like those at Fort McHenry slip in and out of character to convey history’s message. Since the fort was in use militarily for 125 years, it’s simply not feasible to ignore the rest of its history by sticking only to the 1812 script.