Fort McHenry is shaped like a star to enhance its defensive capabilities. The star-shaped design allowed for a greater range of fire from cannons placed along the walls, reducing blind spots and making it harder for attackers to breach the fort. This design also helped to deflect cannonballs, increasing the fort's resilience during attacks. This architectural style was common among military forts built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars . . . were so gallantly streaming! over the star-shaped Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814.
Fort McHenry.
Fort McHenry is in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fort McHenry
Francis Scott Key's "Defense of Fort McHenry" was put to music to create The Star Spangled Banner.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars . . . were so gallantly streaming! over the star-shaped Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814.
Fort McHenry.
Fort McHenry is in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Francis Scott Key's "Defense of Fort McHenry" was put to music to create The Star Spangled Banner.
Fort McHenry
The Battle of Fort McHenry.
The Defense of Fort McHenry
The original lyrics for the Star Spangled Banner came from the poem "The Defense of Fort McHenry" written by Francis Scott Key in 1814.
It is built in the form of a five pointed star with a dry moat to protect it from attack by land.
The Star Spangler Banner