Fort McHenry is probably best-known for the valiant role it played in the Battle of Baltimore in 1814, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that would become The Star-Spangled Banner. During the Civil War it served as a prison for the large number of Maryland citizens who expressed pro-secessionist sentiments, including Francis Key Howard, the grandson of Scott Key.

Designated a National Monument and Historic Shrine in 1939, it is now a popular spot with tourists eager to see "the Birthplace of the National Anthem."

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