Blinding flashes of light illuminated the night. Great booms and explosions shook the very earth beneath the soldiers' feet. Moans and shuddering breaths could be heard even above the cacophony. Confusion had reigned on the British side since the death of their commander, General Robert Ross. A fierce sense of determination for Americans. They all knew the end would be near. The war would end that night. The bombardment of Fort McHenry continued for 25 hours until finally silence returned. The fort had held and against all odds, the Americans had won. “And the red glow of the rockets, the bombs bursting in the air/proved all night that our flag was still there.” (Francis Scott Key lines 5-6). The red glow of the rockets... the bombs bursting in the air... It's not a very pretty picture, is it? Some may say that the national anthem is a testament to America's resilience and strength as a nation. Maybe they're right. But there is also the other side: the fact that thousands of people died in this war, that the capital, DC, was burned to the ground. We often overlook these facts when we ...

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