The War of 1812
America at odds with England
Listen to the following poem.
“O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight. O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there, O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
So have you heard it before, and where is it from? If you’ve ever been to a big sporting event, from a baseball game to even a tennis match, I bet you’ve heard these famous words sung before the game or match starts. Americans all stand still, remove their hats, and listen carefully as they sing together these meaningful words. So why did I call it a poem? Believe it or not, this song we call America’s national anthem began as a poem, and it is officially called “The Star-Spangled Banner.” You may even know these words by heart if you’ve heard them enough. So where did this important song come from, and why do American citizens across our great nation view this anthem with such pride and respect?
After the Revolutionary War
British ships were also taking over American ships sailing in the open seas and making the American sailors work for the British navy. What’s more, England was fighting a war against France, whom America was trading with. Thus, the “second war of independence” began.
In August of 1814, British forces led by General Ross descended on Washington DC and set fire to the US Capitol, the White House, and other important buildings to the Americans.