Americans of this high cost of this war and to so humiliate the government of James Madison that they would be forced to make peace on british terms. In the summer of 1814, john stewart skinner, who was an american prisoner of war agent, who incidentally would later be Francis Scott keys companion watching the bombardment of ft. Mchenry, skinner travels out, sales into the potomac to meet with cockburn to exchange some letters and gossip. And cockburn mentioned to skinner as theyre walking along the deck of albeon, the flagship, that he doesnt see much way out for the president. He says, quote, mr. Madison will have to put on his armor and fight it out. I see nothing else left. There is nothing subtle about this, and cockburn was aware that this word would get back to washington and madison pretty quickly. But cockburn was so unimpressed with the american defenses that he didnt mind sending this word. He knew that there was nothing really the americans could do about it. In its third y
Is certainly in question. But in any event, they were a bit of an embarrassment for the royal navy, and the commander, the north american station, sir admiral john warren was conducting a pretty lackluster campaign. There was some thought he needed the boost of a subordinate who could be a bit more aggressive. There was a British Naval historian who was actually detained in philadelphia when war broke out. And he would later write, his name was william james, and he would later write, until cockburns arrival in the chesapeake, people in this region would, quote, scarcely have known except by hear say that war existed. And that was about to change. Cockburn arrives in the spring of 1813 and finds the chesapeake just custom made for an Expeditionary Force such as he had, 200 mile length of the bay with all the rivers serving as tributaries, really provided access to what was then the real economic as well as political heartland of america. And this Chesapeake Bay quickly turns into a lak
Francis scott key to write the words that later became our anthem. Welcome. Of interpretation here at the birthplace of the star spangled banner. Nighttime, you fly a small modern flag. Star, day, we fly the 13 15stripe flag, the same style that inspired Francis Scott key write the national anthem. Key saw that flag at a unique American History when american morale was really, really low. Turning point in the war of 1812. Know of americans dont about the war of 1812. Why it was important for francis to see that flag and how it spine inspired him to write those words that became our national anthem. Were now here in whats called gun deck of ft. Mchenry, we call it the water battery. T would be the main line of defense against the british ships. So what was this war of 1812 and why did the british come to baltimore . Well, a lot of people find surprising is really the war of americas most unpopular wars. And i think its because the complex and on one side you can say the United States ha
At night time we fly a small modern flag. During the day, a 15star, 1 5stripe flag, the same style that inspired Francis Scott key. G at a time where american morale was really low. A turning point in the war of 1812. A lot of americans do not know much about the war of 1812. Lets explore why was important for Francis Scott key to have seen that flag and how that inspired him to write those words that became our National Anthem. Gun deck here on the of fort mchenry. We also call it the water battery. As would have been the main line of defense against the british ships. 1812 was one of americas most unpopular wars. That is because the causes were complex. On the one said, you could say the United States had a totally good reason to go to war. The british were dictating who we should trade with, stealing american sailors and forcing them into the british navy. It was deeper than just making up the manpower shortage in the british navy. There was a question of citizenship. The United Sta
Symposium looking at mr. Madisons war. This is about okay. First i want to announce following our next presentation, we will take a tenminute break. Our next speaker will be speaking about mr. Madison will have to put on his armor, coburn and the capture of washington. Steve vogel is the author of through the perilous fight and the pentagon history. Hes a veteran journalist who wrote for the Washington Post until 2014. Most recently covering the treatment of veterans from the wars in afghanistan and iraq. His reporting about the war in afc was part of a package of the Washington Post stories that was selected as a finalist for the 2002 pulitzer prize. He covered the september 11th attack on the pentagon, and also covered the fall of beryl of the berlin wall. Hes actually currently working on a project on the history of berlin during the cold war, so maybe he has gone back in hi mind at least to the fall of berlin. A graduate of the college of william and mary with a degree in governmen