Historical Note:

A lawyer waxes poetic amid war . . .

As the War of 1812 was ending, Attorney Francis Scott Key and a friend received permission from President Monroe to row out to the enemy's ship and negotiate the release of a Baltimore doctor imprisoned for spying. After negotiating the release, the British held the two men in custody until the Battle at Fort McHenry was determined. Silently the pair stood on the deck and peered across the harbor as their American flag occasionally emerged through the thick black smoke of the bombardment. Moved by the Americans' bravery and the flag's symbolic endurance, Key wrote a poem on the back of an envelope. His little verse became universally known as The Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem for United States.

Name Origin: English. (Named after Queen Henrietta Marie of England)

Capital: Annapolis

Population: 5,006,000

Area: 10,460 square miles

Statehood: April 28, 1788 (7th)

Nickname: The Old Line State

Motto: "Manly deeds, womanly words"

Famous For: Maryland Crabs, Chesapeake Bay, Ocean City, Atlantic Coast, River Valleys, Rolling Hills, Forests, Appalachian Mountains, Fort McHenry, Tobacco