Maryland Celebrates National Anthem Bicentennial
Brittany Meyer
Staff Writer
“O! Say can you see,” that Maryland became nationally known last week for the bicentennial of the National Anthem.
The event was an entire week long, from Sept. 10 to Sept. 17. Each day was fulfilled with entertainment and festivities.
At the Inner Harbor, the famous tall ships surrounded the docks with their giant sails moving in the wind. Visitors walking by couldn’t help but take advantage of a photo op in front of these iconic structures.
From tall ships to the naval vessels, the Inner Harbor was filled with commotion. This week marked one of the most crowded times Charm City has ever seen.
Along with the array of warships and sailboats, the Blue Angels also gave an amazing performance by circling the skies of Baltimore, performing their popular flips and tricks.
If that wasn’t enough, there were also military reenactments, a family fun zone with games and prizes and tons of live music.
With it being the 200th anniversary of the national anthem, it was Maryland’s time to shine. During the War of 1812, America’s national anthem was inspired by the events at the Battle of Baltimore.
It was at Fort McHenry where Francis Scott Key saw the American Flag still standing in the distance.
He was then inspired to write the poem, “Defense of Fort McHenry” which was then shorted and is known today as the Star Spangled Banner.
To celebrate this marvelous event in history, for the 200th anniversary thousands of fireworks exploded in the sky at Fort McHenry and the Inner Harbor in the most intricate shapes people have ever seen, including an American flag, just as Francis Scott Key saw years ago.
To share the Maryland love, (seb) threw a Maryland Week for the students. Each day this past week had fun events planned. Free shirts and authentic Maryland food were a few of the offered festivities.
This month has definitely been a special one for Maryland. This bicentennial will be another fond memory to go down in history.
