Bay Backpack

At Fort McHenry, a site on the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail and geotrail, history comes to life on Defenders Day. Image credit: D Ruehlmann.

The histories of the Star-Spangled Banner and the National Anthem of the United Stated of America are rooted in the events of the Chesapeake Campaign during the War of 1812. Between February 1813 and February 1815, the Chesapeake Bay was the center of a fierce conflict between American and British troops. To commemorate the people, places, and events of the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812, the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail and geotrail were created.

The Star-Spangled Banner geotrail was launched on February 27, 2010 and represents the first multi-state collaboration between the Friends of Chesapeake Gateways, the Maryland Geocaching Society, and the National Park Service.  A geotrail, such as the Star-Spangled Banner geotrail, is a series of geocaches that have been developed around a common theme. Geocaching (pronounced “geo-cashing”) is a modern version of a treasure hunting game, in which participants use a hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to plot map coordinates that lead them to a hidden treasure or “cache.” To learn more about the basics of geocaching and how you can use it in your classroom, check out our “Geo-what?” blog.

Students, teachers, and participants who go geocaching on the Star-Spangled Banner geotrail have the opportunity to explore more than 30 forts, battlefields, ships, museums, parks and preserves, each with its own story to tell about the War of 1812.  As an example of some of the historical content your students can learn from this activity, here is an excerpt of the narrative that is included in the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine geocache:

“… In the early morning of September 13, 1814, five British bomb ships and other vessels anchored two miles out from Fort McHenry. In addition to the great guns of the fort, the narrow channel leading to the city was blocked by a chain-mast boom, gunboats and sunken ships.  Because of the strength of the American defenses, the British relied on a long-range bombardment which would enable them to shell the fort beyond the range of the American guns.  During the attack the British fired over 1,000 shells or “bombs” and 700 rockets. The American defenders, under the command of Major Armistead, had little choice but to endure the punishing bombardment.  The bombardment lasted for 25 hours.  Due to the great range, little damage was done on either side, but the British ceased their attack on the morning of September 14, 1814. The naval part of the British invasion of Baltimore had been repulsed by the Defenders of Baltimore.

Anchored with the British fleet in the harbor was a truce ship which held Francis Scott Key, a Georgetown lawyer, who had been sent with John Skinner, prisoner exchange agent, to negotiate the release of Dr. William Beanes, a civilian prisoner of war.  Though Beanes had been set free they were not released until after the Battle and were forced to witness the battle from behind enemy lines.  As the bombardment ended Major Armistead ordered the huge flag, made for the fort by Baltimorean Mary Pickersgill, to be flown.   It is this flag that Francis Scott Key saw and penned the poem “The Defence of Fort M’Henry” which would later be renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner” and become The National Anthem of the United States of America…”

Visit the National Park Service Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail website to learn more about the geotrail or click here for information on the operational status of geocaches and for gps coordinates that will lead you to the caches.