'War of 1812' flag still inspires after 200 years
<p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Fort">Fort</span> <span word="McHenry">McHenry</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="star">star</span>-<span word="shaped">shaped</span> <span word="fortification">fortification</span> <span word="overlooking">overlooking</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="harbor">harbor</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Baltimore">Baltimore</span>, <span word="Maryland">Maryland</span>.</p><p><span word="Baltimore">Baltimore</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="places">places</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="commemorating">commemorating</span> <span word="the">the</span> 200<span word="th">th</span> <span word="anniversary">anniversary</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="of">of</span> 1812 - <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="wasn">wasn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="finished">finished</span> <span word="until">until</span> 1815. <span word="Fort">Fort</span> <span word="McHenry">McHenry</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="oversized">oversized</span> <span word="flag">flag</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="flew">flew</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="played">played</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="memorable">memorable</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="war">war</span>.</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="nation">nation</span>’<span word="s">s</span> “<span word="Second">Second</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Independence">Independence</span>” <span word="against">against</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="Fort">Fort</span> <span word="McHenry">McHenry</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="September">September</span> <span word="of">of</span> 1814. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="torched">torched</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="White">White</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Capitol">Capitol</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="headed">headed</span> <span word="north">north</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Baltimore">Baltimore</span>.</p><p><span word="Their">Their</span> <span word="gunships">gunships</span> <span word="pounded">pounded</span> <span word="Fort">Fort</span> <span word="McHenry">McHenry</span> <span word="mercilessly">mercilessly</span> <span word="for">for</span> 25 <span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="hours">hours</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="fell">fell</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="harbor">harbor</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="control">control</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="Baltimore">Baltimore</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="dawn">dawn</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Francis">Francis</span> <span word="Scott">Scott</span> <span word="Key">Key</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="lawyer">lawyer</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="observed">observed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shelling">shelling</span>, <span word="wrote">wrote</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="poem">poem</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="miraculous">miraculous</span> <span word="visage">visage</span> <span word="of">of</span> “<span word="broad">broad</span> <span word="stripes">stripes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bright">bright</span> <span word="stars">stars</span>” <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="flag">flag</span> <span word="appeared">appeared</span>, <span word="still">still</span> “<span word="gallantly">gallantly</span> <span word="streaming">streaming</span>” <span word="over">over</span> <span word="Fort">Fort</span> <span word="McHenry">McHenry</span>.</p><p><span word="Thwarted">Thwarted</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ammunition">ammunition</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="sailed">sailed</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Key">Key</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="verses">verses</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="anthem">anthem</span>, “<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Star">Star</span>-<span word="Spangled">Spangled</span> <span word="Banner">Banner</span>.”</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="battle">battle</span> <span word="flag">flag</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="flown">flown</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="Fort">Fort</span> <span word="McHenry">McHenry</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="commandant">commandant</span>, <span word="Lt">Lt</span>. <span word="Col">Col</span>. <span word="George">George</span> <span word="Armistead">Armistead</span>, <span word="had">had</span> <span word="ordered">ordered</span> <span word="raised">raised</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="defiant">defiant</span> <span word="symbol">symbol</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="resistance">resistance</span>: <span word="It">It</span> <span word="survived">survived</span>, <span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="holes">holes</span>.</p>
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