Starting this Wednesday, June 13th, Baltimore, MD will host its “Star-Spangled Sailabration,”  a week long festival with 18 tall ships and  22 naval vessels, marking the start of Maryland’s three year commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.   In addition to the parade of tall ships, the festivities will include parachute jumps into Camden Yards as well as music, fireworks and an air show over Fort McHenry.  Click here to learn more and to find “sailabration” schedules and maps.

The Baltimore celebrations are closely tied to history. Around 1812, the shipyards at Baltimore’s Fells Point built and outfitted the fast privateers that would become known as Baltimore clippers and which were highly effective as commerce raiders during the war. The Pride of Baltimore II, a replica inspired by the clippers of 1812, will be available for tours in the Inner Harbor during the festival.

In 1814, the British attempted to clean out “that nest of pirates in Baltimore” with an amphibious assault up the Chesapeake Bay.  While the British did succeed in setting fire to the nation’s capital in Washington, DC, they failed in their land and sea assault on Baltimore. During the 25 hour bombardment of Fort McHenry, the fortification  defending Baltimore harbor, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem, “Defence of Fort McHenry.” The poem was was set to the tune of a British song “To Anacreon in Heaven,” and became known as the “Star-Spangled Banner.” The popular song was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 and became the national anthem of the United States in 1931.