The war broke out only 21 years after the end of the Revolution over issues stemming from maritime rights and Britain’s long-running feud with France as well as expansionistic ambitions by the U.S. The real rallying point for Americans was Britain’s impressments of sailors of “British birth” into the Royal Navy.
Battle of Baltimore
Baltimore’s contribution to the war came on September 12, 1814. Only two weeks prior, the British had burned Washington D.C. after encountering very little resistance at a minor battle on the outskirts of the capital. Baltimore was singled out by the British as the next target because of its “war spirit” and its attacks on British shipping vessels. But it was that same aggressive stance that prompted the city to prepare all summer for the possibility of an attack. And over a two-day naval and land engagement U.S. forces and the prepared citizenry of Baltimore sent the British packing.
“The Battle of Baltimore is often overshadowed by the drama and color of the writing of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’” says Vince Vaise, volunteer coordinator at Fort McHenry and commander of the 37-person Guard. “But it was one of two pivotal battles that help the U.S. get out of the war while saving face.”
Francis Scott Key
During the Battle of Baltimore, Francis Scott Key, a prominent Maryland lawyer, happened to be aboard a British ship negotiating a prisoner exchange. It is from this vantage point that he saw "the rockets red glare" and was relieved to see "by the dawn's early light...that our flag was still there."He captured the historic moment in a poem originally published as a handbill under the title "The Defence of Fort McHenry." That poem was later set to music and retitled "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Fort McHenry Guard
Today the brick fortress sits on a parcel of green space on a waterfront crowded by shipping terminals and factories competing with high-rise condominium for real estate. The city’s fireboats bob along the perimeter of the property near the picnic grounds where thousands of visitors from all over the country rest after a step back into the 18th century.
During the summer, weekend visitors to Fort McHenry can duck into tents that represent life around 1812. They interact with the college students, homemakers, computer technicians, firefighters and police officers who make up the Guard.
The tavern tent is where Jim Moser spends his time. The amateur magician and retiree, who spent much of his career working as a U.S. Marshall, weaves history into his portrayal of an itinerant entertainer. He does typical magic tricks of that era, like setting off a flash candle, while telling first-person tales about historical figures of the day. “We don’t do magic for the sake of doing magic. It all has to do with history,” he explains.
Moser says his three years as a re-enactor have inspired him to learn even more about history beyond the War of 1812, citing the many books that he’s read since he began his stint in the Guard. “I liked history, but I wasn’t really gung ho about it – not like I am now.”
