Even a modern view of Fort McHenry and its relation to the City of Baltimore illustrates how important the fort was at the time of the British attack in 1814.

Construction of Fort McHenry began in 1798, and by 1803 the walls had been finished. Positioned on a point of land dominating Baltimore's busy waterfront, the guns of the fort could protect the city, a port of vital importance to the United States in the early 19th century.