Day 17, February 11

During the Second Barbary Wars, the United States was also involved in fighting the British in the War of 1812.  Nearly thirty years after the American Revolution, Britain tried asserting its power over the fledgling nation.    Among other atrocities, the British believed they had the right to impress American sailors into their navy.  The British Navy was the greatest in the world, but America proved herself once again.

On September 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key penned a poem, "The Defence of Fort McHenry."   Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by British cannons  Inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, he wrote his iconic words.    Later set to music, the poem was renamed "The Stars Spangled Banner" and was declared the national anthem in 1831.