Probably the most famous fort in the United States, Fort McHenry is best known as a monument to the nation's defense of its newly-won independence in the War of 1812. It was the sight of what a British officer described as the fort's "superb and splendid ensign" after a night-long bombardment that told Francis Scott Key that the British attack on Baltimore had failed, moving him to write the lyrics that eventually became our national anthem.

Fort McHenry is also one of the finest surviving examples of the first system of coastal forts that were authorized by Congress between 1794 and 1807 to protect American neutrality during the Napoleonic Wars. In this volume, Scott Sheads has provided a comprehensive history of Fort McHenry, from the first earthworks thrown up on the site in 1776 down to the present day.

Sheads describes the fort's role in the nation's early coastal defense as well as its subsequent service as a Union defensive post and prison during the Civil War, an immigration station early in this century, and a military hospital during and just after World War I. Sheads also discusses the movement that led to the fort's restoration, and the important archaeological studies that have been conducted there.

1. This book also includes detailed information on the nine other nearby forts that defended the mouth of the Patapsco River during the 19th Century. It is illustrated with photographs, maps, line drawings, and color portraits.