Baltimore - War of 1812 Postmark

This commemorative postmark from Baltimore commemorates the War of 1812 and the American national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, which started life as a poem written during the war. The poem was written by Francis Scott Key who, while being held captive, witnessed the British attack on Fort McHenry on September 13, 1814. He literally saw a small American flag that was flying above the fort survive an overnight bombardment and he decided to capture the imagery in a poem he titled "The Defence of Fort McHenry". This would later turn into the American national anthem.

Between June 13 and 19 of this year, a festival was held in Baltimore to honor the anthem and the war. The plan is to make this a three year celebration, with further events planned for 2013 and 14.