America's Story (part 16) - Our First 9/11

Wikipedia/Star Spangled Banner Flag

June 1812 - February 1815:

More than 200 years ago, the War of 1812 began.  It has been called the Second War of American Independence.  And it started for many reasons, among them:  the British restriction of American trade, the desire of American expansion, the impressment of American sailors into the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

But a turning point came in late summer of 1814.

[reference: War of 1812 - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com and timeline - Timeline | War of 1812 | PBS ]

August 24 - 25, 1814:

In retaliation for American attacks in Canada, the British took the US capital and torched it.   An interesting side note is that on the next day, the weather - a tornado - inflicted more causalities on the British than the fight. So the British cut their occupation short and limped back to their ships. 

[reference: British troops set fire to the White House — History.com This Day in History — 8/24/1814  and A Tornado Saves Washington during the War of 1812 | Historical Digression ]

Many prisoners were taken in this attack on Washington D. C.  Among them was Dr. William Beanes, a colleague of Georgetown lawyer, Francis Scott Key.

Soon it was ...

* September 11, 1814 *

This was our first 9/11 and the turning point of the war at the Battle of Plattsburgh.  The decisive victory over the British naval forces on Lake Champlain lead the British retreat into Canada.  Also it lead to the conclusion of U.S.-British peace negotiations in Belgium, which would formally end the war in 1815.

[reference:  The Battle of Plattsburgh- September 11, 1814 Victory on Lake Champlain  and Battle of Plattsburgh - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com ]

Meanwhile, Francis Scott Key traveled to the British fleet in the Chesapeake to negotiate a release of American prisoners of war, among them Dr. William Beanes.

September 13 and 14, 1814

But after the British victory in Washington D.C. in August, their troops advanced to the vital port city of Baltimore.  They believed it to be the base of the privateers, who preyed on their shipping.   At Fort McHenry was the garrison that was key to the city's harbor defense.

[reference: War of 1812: Battle of Fort McHenry ]

In the Battle of Fort McHenry, the British gave it all that they got as they fired on the fort to get the Americans to surrender.  There ultimatum to the Americans was if the fort lowered the flag, the shelling would stop.

The rest of the story is told here in the clip below - through the eyes of Francis Scott Key:

(reference:  http://youtu.be/YaxGNQE5ZLA)
(for a transcrpt, check out:  The Star Spangled Banner)

And at dawn's early light, Francis Scott Key saw that  - the flag was still there!   

This Georgetown lawyer penned the lyrics of the song from this experience.  They can be found here:  Star Spangled Banner Lyrics - USA Flag Site

For the rest of the story:  The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner | History | Smithsonian


The Star Spangled Banner was born in the crucible of the American Revolution and the War of 1812, in which we fought the British. Since then, the United States and the United Kingdom have become strong allies.

* September 11, 2001 *

Almost 200 years after the War of 1812, the US was attacked on native soil in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.

[reference:  9/11 Attacks - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com ]

And the British gave this tribute to us, playing the Star Spangled Banner at Buckingham Palace:

[reference:  http://youtu.be/xwrX-LN9-L0 ]

It's been 200 years since the lyrics were written.  As we move into the 21st century, the last line of our National Anthem still ends with this question:

Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

And it's a question each coming generation needs to answer.


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Other posts in this series:

America's Story (part 1) - The Speech that redefined us, November 19, 1863 (2011)

America's Story (part 2) - Savages! (2011)

America's Story (part 3) - Over There - 1917, 1941 (2011)

America's Story (part 4) - Christmas 1944, when we said NUTS to the enemy (2011)

America's Story (part 5) - Amazing Grace (2012)

America's Story (part 6) - GI Joe Tuskegee Airmen (2012)

America's Story (part 7) - When Reagan was shot (2012)

America's Story (part 8) - Memorial Day, Gettysburg, and Amos Humiston (2012)

America's Story (part 9) - A Tale of Two Revolutions (2012)

America's Story (part 10) - Sergeant York (2012)

America's Story (part 11) - Sacajawea  (2012)

America's Story (part 12) - Death and Taxes (2013)

America's Story (part 13) - The Enola Gay (2013)

America's Story (part 14) - I Was a Male War Bride - the real story (2014)
     

America's Story (part 15) - World War 2: memories of North Africa (2014)
    

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Photo from:  Wikipedia/Star Spangled Banner Flag

New Years 2012 - the Good worth fighting for!

Baseball. Apple pie. The American dream.

Those were the days? ....

As I flip the calender to a New Year - 2012 - I reflect on growing up in a seemingly more innocent America and I get nostalgic with a tinge of sadness. Many songs express these feelings, as one of my favorites made popular in 1968 - Those Were the Days - sung in this video clip below.



Those were the the days, my friend.

We thought they would never end ...

Not so long again, October 2011, I wrote a blog: America in Decline?! The news has been (and still is) bad for so long that it has affected the national psyche. Even global tweets in twitter show we are depressed: Is Twitter Showing We're Depressed?

And I find myself getting older, but not wiser?

How did that happen?

Let's go back to the "Good Ol' Days" - 1983

I wrote a poem some 30 years ago, which I had posted more recently on my web page: here. Back then, I had been a little then depressed - it was raining - and I was between jobs. In 1983, the country was still in a deep recession as we were just starting to pull out of a national malaise. And I had written this poem to express my feelings - looking back to my more optimistic school days,

Lamenting the "Good Ol' Days"

The past is gone
The future dim
We lament
What could have been!

As the rain
Blows in wind
We yearn the sun
That could have been!

Time wears away
As the rain
That pounds and drips
Against the pane ...

What could have been!
Dare we say --
Will be the 'morrow
Which is today?

(C) 1983 by S. K. Smith

But after 1983 came ...

1984

It was an ominous sounding year with the ring of disaster thanks to George Orwell's novel - 1984. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. Yet in 1984, the national spirits and the economy took off. It would not be an exaggeration that in 1984, it was - Morning, again, in America.

Now at the doorstep is ...

2012

Like 1984, 2012 sounds like an ominous year. Some ancient prophesies predict a year of disasters. According to the Mayan calender - December 21, 2012 will be the "End of Time" (Also, reference: 2012 Mayan Predictions ) And there was the 2008 disaster movie - 2012 Doomsday.

2012 has become the new Y2K (2000).

The Future dim?

We survived Y2K - whose predicted disasters did not live up to the hype. With the turn of the new Millennium, The Lord of the Rings trilogy made it to the big screen in its latest version, starting in 2001. After the unpredicted disaster of 9/11, the story offered hope for the future as the protagonists faced and overcome overwhelming evil. One of my favorite speeches comes near the end of the second movie in the trilogy - The Two Towers (2002):




Looking back to stories in the past gives me hope for the future. There have been many dark days in our history. Like in the Lord of the Ring trilogy, the real life hero and heroines had many chances to turn back, but they did not. All were hanging on to the hope that there was some good in this world worth fighting for.

These stories still inspire me and we have their stories easily accessible to review in many forms of media. Here is a sample of some of those stories - with video links:

* The Revolutionary War

During the dark days when the "Glorious Cause of America" seemed lost, George Washington never gave up: George Washington insights

* The War of 1812

During the Battle of Baltimore and the fierce British bombardment of Fort McHenry, it looked like the United States would lose its "Second War of Independence." Great Britain had offered us an easy out if we took down our colors and surrendered. But we did not. Then enemy gave it everything they got. Against the odds, we prevailed. This battle inspired Francis Scott Key who wrote the words that became our national anthem: The Star Spangled Banner Story

* The Civil War

During those very dark days, it seemed the United States would dissolve, especially after the terrible losses such as at the Battle of Gettysburg. But Abraham Lincoln reminded us of the good that was worth fighting for: The Gettysburg Address

* World War Two:

During the dark days as Europe was succumbing to Hitler's juggernaut, Sir Winston Churchill reminded his people and allies as the United States that Christian civilization was worth fighting for: Their Finest Hour Speech

* The Cold War

During these dark days, it seemed communism was gobbling up the free world, imprisoning millions under dictatorial regimes behind the Iron and Bamboo Curtains. Yet, Ronald Reagan reminded us that freedom was worth fighting for: A Time for Choosing

As in the stories above there is still Good in this world and ...

it is worth fighting for!

This 2012,

Fight the good fight of faith ...

1 Timothy 6:12
(King James Version)

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Previous New Year's posts:

New Year's Lessons from Gilligan's Island (2010)

Eucatastrophe for 2010? (2010)

New Year's Resolutions and Blue Monday - the cure (2009)

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Photo from Wikipedia Commons: Americana

The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner

For years, I have sung the National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," at sporting events and not given much thought to the words I was singing.

As Flag Day comes upon us this June 14, I stumbled on this terrific video clip of the historical and heart-felt meaning behind those words:



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Lyrics, by Francis Scott Key:

First Verse
Oh, 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, thro' 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 thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Second Verse
On the shore dimly seen, thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines in the stream;
'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Third Verse
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.


Fourth Verse
Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
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For timeline of the Star Spangled Banner: click here

The Star Spangled Banner was born in the crucible of the American Revolution and the War of 1812, in which we fought the British. Since then, the United States and the United Kingdom have become strong allies.

Almost 200 years after the War of 1812, after the 2001 attack of 9-11, the British gave this moving tribute, playing the Star Spangled Banner at Buckingham Palace:




photo from Wikipedia Commons: Star Spangled Banner