On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on England, then the greatest power on earth, to preserve "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights." The British, while at war with France, had interfered with U.S. trade and had boarded American ships to force sailors into service on their ships.
It was not until 1814, after England had defeated Napoleon, that the British would test a stubborn, determined people in Baltimore, an anti-British hotbed. To attack the city successfully, the British would first have to seize Fort McHenry, the key to the city's defense.
Late summer 1814 was a critical time for the United States during the War of 1812. A British blockade was taking effect and trade was critically diminished.
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