Military fort and national monument, Baltimore , Maryland, U.S. During the War of 1812 , the British bombarded it in 1814 but failed to capture the city it defended.
Francis Scott Key witnessed the battle while being held aboard a British ship, and the sight of the U.S. flag flying above the fort inspired him to write "The Star-Spangled Banner." The fort was used as a federal prison during the American Civil War and then served as a military post until 1900, when it was abandoned. Occupying an area of 43 acres (17 hectares), it was named a national park in 1925 and a national monument in 1939.