WASHINGTON (AP) — A re-creation of the star-spangled banner will be unfurled near the White House to mark 200 years since the home was burned by the British during the War of 1812.
Sunday marks 200 years since the White House was burned on Aug. 24, 1814. To mark the occasion, the replica flag created by the Baltimore-based Maryland Historical Society will be displayed at the Ellipse, just south of the White House.
After burning the White House and Washington, the British moved to Baltimore and fought the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814. It was the sight of the flag waving over Baltimore’s Fort McHenry after the battle that inspired the writing of the national anthem. The fort’s flag, the original star-spangled banner, is now on display at the Smithsonian in Washington.
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