British forces, fresh from burning Washington, D.C., advanced on Baltimore in September 1814. Naval bombardment would soften Fort McHenry for ground assault. The British fleet positioned beyond the fort's cannon range and opened fire at dawn on September 13. The bombardment was intense - rockets, mortar shells, bombs with time fuses - but the range was too great for accuracy. The British landed troops at North Point but faced stiff resistance. By dawn of September 14, with the fort still standing and ground forces stalled, the British withdrew. Baltimore was saved.

Major George Armistead had commissioned an enormous flag specifically to ensure the British would see it - 30 by 42 feet, visible for miles, impossible to miss. Mary Pickersgill, a Baltimore seamstress, made the flag from wool bunting: 15 stars and 15 stripes, representing the states in 1794 when Congress had added stars for Vermont and Kentucky. During the bombardment, the smaller 'storm flag' flew; the garrison raised the great flag at dawn when the British withdrew. That moment - the flag raised over a fort that hadn't fallen - became the image Key captured in his poem.

Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment from a British ship, having sailed to negotiate a prisoner exchange. Through the night, he could see little but shell bursts and fires. At dawn, the sight of the flag still flying inspired his poem, written on the back of an envelope during his return to Baltimore. 'The Defence of Fort M'Henry' was published and set to 'To Anacreon in Heaven,' a British drinking song. The song spread; by the Civil War, it was effectively the national anthem, though Congress didn't make it official until 1931. Key's single moment of observation became the country's permanent patriotic expression.

Fort McHenry's star shape was cutting-edge military architecture in 1799 when construction began - the design minimized blind spots and maximized defensive fire. The fort served through the Civil War as a prison, through both World Wars as a hospital, and became a national monument in 1925. Today the star-shaped walls, the magazine, and the barracks survive, largely restored to their 1814 appearance. The flag that flew during the bombardment is preserved at the Smithsonian; a modern replica flies over the fort. Rangers in period costume provide living history interpretation.

Fort McHenry National Monument is located on Locust Point, roughly 3 miles from downtown Baltimore. The visitor center offers exhibits and a film on the battle and anthem. The fort grounds are open for exploration; rangers provide interpretive programs. Flag Day ceremonies on June 14 are especially significant. The monument is accessible by car or seasonal water taxi from the Inner Harbor. Baltimore has extensive lodging and dining; the Inner Harbor is a major tourist district. Allow 2-3 hours for a thorough visit. The fort is moving precisely because it's modest - a small star on a harbor peninsula that became the stage for national mythology.