Baltimore Turns the Tide

After crushing the Americans at Bladensburg and invading the Nation’s Capital, the British targeted Baltimore because capturing the city, then the third largest in the United States and a commercial and shipbuilding hub, could likely bring the war to an end. Military and civilians, including free and enslaved blacks, rallied to defend it. On September 12-14, 1844, the British attacked by land from North Point and by water at Fort McHenry on the Patapsco. Strong American defenses and the failure to capture Fort McHenry persuaded the British to withdraw, essentially ending the Chesapeake Campaign of 1814.

Baltimore, Maryland · United States