Battle of Baltimore Begins in War of 1812

Context

The War of 1812 pitted the young United States against Great Britain over maritime rights, trade restrictions, and British support for Native American resistance on the western frontier. By 1814, with Napoleon’s defeat in Europe freeing British resources, London shifted more attention to the American theater. In the Chesapeake Bay region, British naval and army units had already conducted raids and, in late August, captured and burned much of Washington, D.C., in retaliation for American actions in Canada.

What Happened

On September 12, 1814, approximately 4,500 British troops under Major General Robert Ross landed at North Point on the Patapsco River and began marching toward Baltimore. They encountered roughly 3,000 Maryland militia commanded by Brigadier General John Stricker; in the resulting action Ross was killed and the British advance slowed. Simultaneously, Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane’s fleet of sixteen warships positioned itself to bombard Fort McHenry, which guarded the entrance to Baltimore’s harbor under Major George Armistead. The naval bombardment began on the morning of September 13 and continued through the night into the following day.

Aftermath

Unable to reduce Fort McHenry or force a passage into the harbor, the British abandoned the operation and re-embarked their troops. The city remained in American hands, preserving its shipyards and privateering base. News of the successful defense reached negotiators at Ghent and contributed to a more favorable atmosphere for concluding peace.

Legacy

Francis Scott Key, who had been detained aboard a British truce vessel during the bombardment, observed the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry at dawn on September 14. His poem “The Defence of Fort M’Henry” was later set to music and, in 1931, became the official national anthem of the United States. The battle is remembered as a clear American defensive success that helped close the War of 1812 on terms that affirmed U.S. sovereignty.