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The Bicentennial of the War of 1812, to be commemorated from 2012 to 2014, will mark the United States' second victory over Great Britain and the writing of "The Star Spangled Banner." Organizers say they plan the celebration to mark 200 years of peace and friendship with Great Britain.
The War of 1812 touched many parts of Maryland. It was during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 -- considered the turning point of the war -- that Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that became the U.S. national anthem.
The two-year bicentennial begins with a flourish in Baltimore's Inner Harbor June 13-19, 2012, with a parade of Tall Ships, naval vessels and a flyover by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.
Other commemorations will be held in places where Marylanders met the British in skirmishes along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, including St. Michaels, Havre de Grace, and Benedict. In Delaware, Lewes faced the British in April 1813, so look for historical re-enactments and other festivities there in April 2012.
Here is a rundown of places to stop during the bicentennial.
Photo Caption: Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fort McHenry, (tel. 410/963-4290; www.nps.gov/fomc), site of the battle that inspired Key's poem, has a new visitors center with exhibits about the war.
Photo Caption: Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.
Star Spangled Banner Flag House (tel. 410/837-1793; www.flaghouse.org), the home of Mary Young Pickersgill, has a new exhibition set to open in Feb. 2012.
Photo Caption: The Star Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Maryland Historical Society (tel. 410/685-3750; www.mdsh.org), displays Key's manuscript. It opened an exhibit on the Marylanders who repulsed the British forces in 2011, with a larger exhibit set to open in 2012.
Nearby, The Fell's Point Visitor Center (tel. 410/675-6750) offers tours of key waterfront locations of the war.
Photo Caption: Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, Maryland.
Sotterley Plantation (Hollywood, tel. 800/681-0850 or 301/373-2280; www.sotterley.org) was the target of raids by the British fleet. The British sailors offered slaves their freedom if they would join the British in 1814. This is the topic of a living history presentation, "The Choice," offered at Sotterley.
Photo Caption:The Sotterley Plantation in Hollywood, Maryland.
Tudor Hall (41680 Tudor Place, Leonardtown, tel. 301/475-2467), the home of Francis Scott Key's cousin, is part of the Star Spangled Banner 200 Trail with a kiosk and special exhibit inside the home of the St. Mary's County Historical Society. A resident of the house, Eliza Key, persuaded British Admiral Cockburn not to burn the county courthouse.
Photo Caption: Tudor Hall in Leonardtown, Maryland.
Calvert Marine Museum (Solomons, tel. 800/735-2258 or 410/326-2042, www.calvertmarinemuseum.com) has an exhibit of artifacts recovered from one of the vessels of the U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla scuttled on Aug. 22, 1814.
Photo Caption: Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland.
Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum (St. Leonard, tel. 410/586-8501; www.jefpat.org) offers a cellphone audio tour; call tel. 410/246-1966 to access the 10 stops. The park also has an exhibit about the Battle of St. Leonard Creek with a re-enactment scheduled every September.
A comprehensive map of all the skirmishes in Southern Maryland is available at www.destinationsouthernmaryland.com/c/326/war-1812.
Photo Caption: Jefferson Patterson Park in St. Leonard, Maryland.
The War of 1812 touched many parts of Maryland. It was during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 -- considered the turning point of the war -- that Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that became the U.S. national anthem.
The two-year bicentennial begins with a flourish in Baltimore's Inner Harbor June 13-19, 2012, with a parade of Tall Ships, naval vessels and a flyover by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.
Other commemorations will be held in places where Marylanders met the British in skirmishes along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, including St. Michaels, Havre de Grace, and Benedict. In Delaware, Lewes faced the British in April 1813, so look for historical re-enactments and other festivities there in April 2012.
Here is a rundown of places to stop during the bicentennial.
Photo Caption: Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.
Photo Caption: Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.
Photo Caption: The Star Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore, Maryland.
Nearby, The Fell's Point Visitor Center (tel. 410/675-6750) offers tours of key waterfront locations of the war.
Photo Caption: Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, Maryland.
Photo Caption:The Sotterley Plantation in Hollywood, Maryland.
Photo Caption: Tudor Hall in Leonardtown, Maryland.
Photo Caption: Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland.
A comprehensive map of all the skirmishes in Southern Maryland is available at www.destinationsouthernmaryland.com/c/326/war-1812.
Photo Caption: Jefferson Patterson Park in St. Leonard, Maryland.