Arched entryway to brick wall of Fort McHenry, an American flag flies overhead 1072933200

The entrance to Fort McHenry. In 1814, American forces fought off a British sea invasion of the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland. The American defense of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry (seen here) inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Flickr

Harrsch, Mary. Fort McHenry Main Gate.JPG. October 10, 2004. Photograph. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/59yF. Accessed February 20, 2026.