CAPTAIN'S LOG: Pride in the People

September 15, 2014

Pride of Baltimore II, alongside at Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor

Wx: East Force 1, 2/8 Celebratory Cumulus, the rest of the sky a Bicentennial Blue

Today’s dawn ushers in a whole new century of our storied national anthem, and a well-worn Pride II crew has seen to it that the ship and the city have marked the anniversary with style and passion. Some ships have already left, the guns and jets are silent now, crowds of visitors still swarm the harbor. But yesterday’s crescendo has washed over and while we bask in the success and import of “Spectacular,” the typical snap and bustle aboard is slightly leaden with fatigue. And no surprise– during the 25 hours actual hours of the Battle of Baltimore anniversary, crew and ship were in full action themselves. With a rotation of watches and captains, plus lots of work from shore side office staff, we scarcely stopped moving, and never stopped commemorating the incredible events of 200 years ago.

As the guns of Fort McHenry thundered out Saturday morning,we sailed alongside a British-flagged Lynx and waved a truce flag over our Francis Scott Key impersonator as he plead his case across the rail for Royal Marines to unhand Doctor Beanes. When the historically timed “re-enactment rain” came down (nearly to the minute, according to the 1814 accounts), we rigged awnings, waited for the sky to clear, then sailed in sleek silence under the roaring military muscle of the Blue Angels. As the town turned electric for the prelude to the fireworks, Pride paraded through the harbor to blast off a national broadcast with three guns. When the “bombs” of the pyrotechnics bust over Fort McHenry and Baltimore Harbor, 100 viewers joined us on deck. Then, once the dust settled, irrepressibly enthusiastic Ranger Vince Vaise from the Fort narrated a midnight retracing of the final desperate British assault on the batteries up the Ferry Branch of the Patapsco.

From three to six am things fell silent, just as they did in 1814. But the crisp morning ushered in a new flurry of action. The culminating moment of the weekend would feature Baltimore’s 1812 historic triumvirate – the Maryland Historical Society’s hand-sewn replica of the Star-Spangled Banner would be hoisted over the Fort while Pride II stood in the offing as Key’s truce ship President and a collected squadron of Tall Ships around her represented the invading British.

With Pride II booked full of enthusiastic passengers and logistics of the ship movements rattling in my mind, Captain Miles and I decided it would work smoothest if he sailed the ship and I marshaled the squadron from a vantage ashore. To foster that plan along, Ranger Vaise welcomed me, along with my wife and parents, to survey the scene from the commanding perch of the Fort’s Bastion 5. Equipped with a handheld VHF and copies of the pages of notes and schematics I’d issued to the ships, we set off for the Fort’s dock in Pride II’s rescue boat. The physical bustle and tangible excitement at the Fort stewed with amazement – this was it, the very morning, the day when the focus of so much 1812 education, programming, efforts, and toiling over months and years was about to float in the September breeze for Baltimore and the world to see.

Ships trickled out from downtown. The inbound cruise ship Carnival Pride cleared the channel into South Locust Point and left the harbor to historic craft. US Armed Forces, and Sailors and Marines from our 1812 adversaries come allies Canada and England, took up position around dignitaries from local, state, and national government in the Parade Ground within the walls. Sun glinted off the black barrels of replica and modern armaments as they stood silently ready for a barrage of salutes. The cool northeast breeze streamed the Fort’s Storm Flag in anticipation.

The pieces started moving. Ranger Vaise, radiating excitement even through a veil of exhaustion, orchestrated the unfurling and preparation of the replica Garrison Flag. The ships slid over glittering water into position under a mantle of low cumulus. As the events of the battle were narrated, a crowd began to gather on the bastion around me, watching the ships. At first I was irritated – with eleven ships and two pulling boats to coordinate, I’d envisioned relative solitude to lay out my notes and coordinate via radio. Having a crowd to eavesdrop and chime in on the necessary communications might offer more than a slight nuisance.

But as the ceremony in the Fort and formation beyond the ramparts continued shaping up, I noticed there were nearly as many people on the bastion with me as in the parade ground. They whispered questions: What’s that ship? Where are they from? What are they all doing? And I had time, as the squadron deftly arrayed themselves across the river, to answer all the questions. Between radio calls to shift and tighten up the line, I could tell the people, these mesmerized appreciators of history, what they were seeing and how much it looked like what Major George Armistead saw 200 years ago that very minute. I wasn’t alone, and was happy for it. I was surrounded by people who, like me, felt deeply moved by this instance, the commemoration of America’s emergence from a divisive and trying, nearly adolescent, conflict into maturity.

The Army Old Guard fired a salvo. When the smoke cleared and the guns fell silent, the ramparts were teeming with people. A last salute from a replica 24lb gun, and the fifing of “Yankee Doodle” lifted the hand-sewn replica aloft. Lynx and Sultana swapped their British ensigns for American. Salutes and cheers echoed from the ships. Through the smoke,their rigs etched a striking visage of history.

By 0940, Pride II was on station off the water battery and the ships processed in, saluting both her and the Fort. Pride II’s Key impersonator was standing at the rail, cheering in the new era of the Star-Spangled Banner. Up on the ramparts, the crowd around me pressed in,asking more eager questions whenever I wasn’t hailing the passing ships on radio to thank them for their part in this historic event. It got so crowed that we were forced off the bricks and (to the chagrin of the Rangers) onto the grass that sprouted from the earthworks. Like most forts of her era, Fort McHenry is mostly earthwork – largely composed of dirt, held together by brick sheathing. Throughout the 214 years of the Fort’s existence, the bricks have been renewed, but the earth inside is still the same.

And then I realized the truth of the week – that we at Pride, the Fort, and Maryland Historical Society had helped, but history had repeated itself organically. Two-hundred years ago, this week was won by the citizens of Baltimore unexpectedly repulsing the British attack. And as Fort, Flag, and Fighting Sail recreated the events of 1814 on a brilliantly sunny morning, it was we citizens of today’s Baltimore that stood on the very earthworks our counterparts defended two centuries ago. Our feet connected us to the timeline of history, the living earth of the Fort, the very foundation of our “Land of the free,” our “Home of the Brave.”

Captain Jamie Trost

MEDIA ALERT: Media Opportunities Aboard Pride of Baltimore II During Star-Spangled Spectacular

Contact: Kate Cwiek, PR & Marketing Manager
kate@pride2.org, Office: 410-539-1170, Cell: 240-643-0316

 

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES ABOARD PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II
DURING STAR-SPANGLED SPECTACULAR
(SEPTEMBER 10 – 16, 2014)

Opportunities for welcoming tall ships, battle sails, captain interviews, aerial photography, and more!

 

BALTIMORE, MD (September 9, 2014) — It was the ingenuity of the Fells Point shipyards and the success of Baltimore privateers, like the Pride of Baltimore II, that inspired the Royal Navy’s attack on Baltimore in 1814. When Francis Scott Key saw the American flag still flying after the all-night bombardment of Fort McHenry, he was inspired to pen the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Star-Spangled Spectacular is a festival in Baltimore, September 10-16, celebrating the 200th anniversary of our National Anthem. Tall ships, Navy gray hulls and the Blue Angels will come to the Inner Harbor, and there will be live musical performances, living history demonstrations, and once in a lifetime opportunities aboard Pride. Pride captains have expertise in the maritime War of 1812 and are available for live interviews.

Wednesday, September 10

Visiting Ships Welcome Sail
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Baltimore Marine Center at Lighthouse Point
2775 Lighthouse Point East, Baltimore, MD 21224
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: Cover the grand arrival of visiting ships to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during a two-hour sail. No other tall ship will be offering sails during this time.

Visiting Ships Welcome Sail
2 PM – 4 PM
Baltimore Marine Center at Lighthouse Point
2775 Lighthouse Point East, Baltimore, MD 21224
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: Cover the grand arrival of visiting ships to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during a two-hour sail. No other tall ship will be offering sails during this time.

Thursday, September 11

Deck Tours
11 AM – 5 PM
Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor
301 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Media Spots Available: unlimited

Pitch: A deck tour is the ultimate way to explore Pride’s deck, learn about past and present life aboard topsail schooner privateers, and interact with her passionate and knowledgeable crew. Pride captains have expertise in the maritime War of 1812 and are available for live interviews.

Friday, September 12

Deck Tours
11 AM – 1 PM
Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor
301 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Media Spots Available: unlimited

Pitch: A deck tour is the ultimate way to explore Pride’s deck, learn about past and present life aboard topsail schooner privateers, and interact with her passionate and knowledgeable crew. Pride captains have expertise in the maritime War of 1812 and are available for live interviews.

Saturday, September 13

“Joining the Battle” Sail
8 AM – 10 AM
Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor
301 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: Francis Scott Key and Pride of Baltimore II will sail out under a flag of truce to meet the British Fleet off Fort McHenry. This real-time tour will mark the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Baltimore. Privateer Lynx will anchor and exchange salutes with Fort McHenry, as Pride delivers Key to negotiate for the return of Dr. Beanes.

Star-Spangled Concert Kick-off Sail
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Baltimore Marine Center Boatel & Yard
1800 S. Clinton Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
Media Spots Available: 10

Pitch: View visiting ships from the water. Sail between Dominos Sugar and Constellation Pier, and then tie to a holding station off Pier 6 between 7:45 PM and 8:15 PM at the launch of the National Broadcast. This is an opportunity to come aboard and see the harbor from a different perspective.

Star-Spangled Fireworks Reception
8:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Baltimore Marine Center Boatel & Yard
1800 S. Clinton Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
Media Spots Available: 10

Pitch: Come aboard for a two-hour dockside opportunity aboard Pride for a waterfront view of Grucci’s pyrotechnic fireworks that are to be the glittering highlight of Star-Spangled Spectacular, marking the 200th anniversary of our National Anthem. On-site parking available.

Sunday, September 14

“Lost in the Fog” Sail
12 AM – 2 PM
Baltimore Marine Center Boatel & Yard
1800 S. Clinton Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: With Captain Trost and Captain Miles, Rangers Vince Vaise, and Jim Bailey from Fort McHenry aboard as special guest interpreters, this real-time tour will have Pride motoring along the “Ferry Branch” of the Patapsco River, tracing the final British attempt to take the Fort under cover of darkness.

“Star-Spangled” (Reenactment) Sail
7:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Baltimore Marine Center Boatel & Yard
1800 S. Clinton Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: Experience the grandeur of the Star-Spangled Banner hoisted over Fort McHenry from the same waters where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write our National Anthem. Today, in the company of 10 other traditional ships, we will sail to the waters where Key witnessed both the intense bombardment and the triumphant raising of the 42 x 30 foot flag over the Fort.

Blue Angels Air Show Day Sail
2 PM – 4 PM
Vane Brothers
2100 Frankfurst Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21226
Media Spots Available: 2

Pitch: Come aboard for one of the most awe-inspiring and patriotic events taking place during Spectacular – a two-hour sail while the Blue Angels soar overhead performing multiple acts above the waters of Fort McHenry.

Star-Spangled Evening Sail
6 PM – 8 PM
Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor
301 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: Weather depending, could be perfect lighting at sunset to view Pride and visiting ships. Can come aboard for the two-hour sail.

Monday, September 15

“Tour the Tall Ships” Sail
8 AM – 10 PM
Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor
301 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: Come aboard America’s Star-Spangled Ambassador and get an up close and personal view of the visiting vessels as only you can do from the water. Pride will take you through a guided tour of the Harbor, pointing out each of the ships.

Free Deck Tours
11 AM – 5 PM
Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor
301 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

Pitch: A deck tour is the ultimate way to explore Pride’s deck, learn about past and present life aboard topsail schooner privateers, and interact with her passionate and knowledgeable crew.

Star-Spangled Evening Sail
6 PM – 8 PM
Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor
301 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: Weather depending, could be perfect lighting at sunset to view Pride and visiting ships. Can come aboard for the two-hour sail.

Tuesday, September 16

Tall Ship Departure Sail
10 AM – 12 PM (subject to change)
Constellation Pier, Inner Harbor
301 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Media Spots Available: 4

Pitch: Experience the departure of tall ships from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during an exclusive two-hour sail aboard Pride. Vessels will depart with Pride leading the way. Arial and on-board photography opportunities available.

About the Pride of Baltimore

The Pride of Baltimore’s mission is to promote historical maritime education, foster economic development and tourism, and represent the people of Maryland in every port she visits. Pride of Baltimore II is a reconstruction of an early 19th century Baltimore Clipper. These sleek, fast, and maneuverable vessels became famous as privateers during the War of 1812. Their success in capturing British merchant ships inspired the Royal Navy’s attack on Baltimore in 1814. When Francis Scott Key saw the American flag still flying after the all-night bombardment of Fort McHenry, he was inspired to pen the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

2014 is the first year in many that Pride will remain in local waters – traveling to as many Maryland ports as possible throughout the Star-Spangled Summer of 2014, celebrating the 200th anniversary of our National Anthem. Since her commissioning in October of 1988, Pride has traveled over 250,000 nautical miles, visited 40 countries, and docked in over 200 ports of call. For more information on Pride’s sailing schedule, education initiatives, or membership program, please visit www.pride2.org

# # #

CAPTAIN'S LOG: Ready or Not, We're Ready

 

Friday 5 September 2014
Pride of Baltimore II alongside Lighthouse Point, deep into “Spectacular” preparations
Wx: Hideously hot, wind SE F 3

 

Since her return from the Battle of Caulks Field Re-enactment events last weekend in Chestertown, Pride II and her crew have been chock-a-block in readying ship and crew for the coming week. As Baltimore’s only War of 1812 ship, Pride II will find herself central in the commemorations of the Battle of Baltimore and the birth of our National Anthem. Though alliterative marketers have dubbed this week’s event Star-Spangled “Spectacular,” two hundred years ago a city hunkering down for invasion and siege would more likely have featured anxiety, stress, and fatigue.

In the few ship movements of our busy week, we found ourselves at Fort McHenry Wednesday afternoon. Our visit was largely logistic – Ranger Vince Vaise and I were trying to finalize some details for our collaborative “Dawn’s Early Light/Star-Spangled Sail” programming on Sunday the 14th. But Ranger Vaise took the time give me a sneak preview of the new Exhibit featuring Major George Armistead. Set up within the Major’s Headquarters in the Fort, it features a bronze statue of Armistead himself, shoulders anxiously locked and channeling weighty concerns to hands planted firmly next to a screen set into the table he leans on. The screen activates to show frantic hands of the officers of the Fort pouring over charts, tables, muster lists, and ammunition stores while speculating over the movements of the advancing British.

flag-on-board

As his likeness simultaneously stares downward at the table and outward to you, the visitor, Armistead’s concerns are expressed though an inner monologue – there wasn’t enough ammunition, twenty percent of the men had malaria, the Fort’s magazine was a vulnerable target, food was scarce and no one knew how long it might have to last. Like anyone thick in preparations, he wanted more time, wanted the certainty of readiness.

The urgency of the Fort was not different. The enormous VIP tent was already being set up, ceremonial flags (presumably gifts for the slew of dignitaries) were being run up and down quickly to be certified as flown over the Fort’s storied flag pole, at 4:30 in the afternoon, a hoarse but energetic Ranger Vaise was just being handed a bagged lunch from a fellow Ranger who was concerned he’d forget to eat at all. Not wanting to distract, or neglect our own busy schedule, we left the Fort staff to their own preparations and took Pride II back to wrap up some of our own.

None of us are hunkering down for a live firefight, but that doesn’t mean those of us in Baltimore’s 1812 Historical community aren’t serious about maximizing this once in a life time anniversary. Pride II’s crew has been attending to prepping the ship – provisioning the galley in advance of the traffic hassles the crowds are likely to bring, suiting everyone up with clean laundry for all of the public interactions, and maintaining the Pride Memorial in Rash Field (this week should honor and remember all those who served, and died, in the name of Baltimore). The crew are malaria free, the powder we are loading aboard is all for salutes, not earnest shots, and we’ll keep feeding the crew with no worries of shortage. But I think our industry this week and next will connect us with Armistead and his men in an eternal network of efforts for our Star-Spangled City.

Like Armistead, we’ll never feel as ready as we want to be. As we gear up to sail out and commemorate the British landing at North Point this weekend, I think, again like Armistead, that we are as ready as we need to be.

 

Come test us, and join in this historic event.

 

 

CAPTAIN'S LOG: Sailing a big complex schooner in tight waters

Captain’s Log
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Washington DC Navy Yard


Pride of Baltimore II is moored at the Navy Yard in Washington DC. A 100 nautical mile trek up the Potomac River. A river that winds serpentine like as it narrows to a navigable channel only a couple of hundred feet wide. Today there are two low level bridges to pass through requiring opening and there is also a shallow water patch that cannot be passed over unless the water level is higher than 2 feet above low water. Fortunately the range of tidal water levels in the DC area is 3 or more feet. And Pride has engines to handle the tight waters, the specific times of bridge openings that must be booked in advance by not less than 24 hours as well docking on schedules set long in advance.

Even with such modern capability, the actual act of sailing 1812 War period Baltimore Schooner Privateer Pride in any of the waters and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay is a nearly constant level of physical and mental demand on her officers and crew; they’re responding to a nearly continuous sail evolution, when one includes setting or striking and adjusting sail as the ship is sailed and cannot avoid approaching shallow water on any course she is directed toward. So, for the most part, sailing Pride in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay is more continually mentally and physically demanding for all aboard than when Pride voyages longer voyages and more open waters.

There are times when a long slant of uninterrupted sailing by any sail evolution occurs in our lovely Chesapeake Bay. That is when the crew have a chance to breath and maybe do some shipboard maintenance. But Pride‘s officers are still constantly involved with monitoring the direction of sailing for approaching shallow water and any changes of wind pattern due to cloud/rain activity (of course an approaching weather front) that may have a beneficial or negative affect on the current situation. All this reality ignores for the moment other vessel traffic (recreational and commercial) also plying the Bay.

So, Chesapeake Bay sailing is not generally a sublime experience aboard Pride considering her size and her complexity and her speed, that can take you to a decision point very suddenly. All who ever sail her look forward to the open waters and the longer voyages. That is where the romance we all read about and is expressed so clearly in John Masefield’s poem Sea Fever with the a most well known line “…and all I want is a tall ship and a star to steer her by…”

But Being in home waters for the Bicentennial of the Maryland portion of the 1812 War is a very special occasion. Especially as it was vessels like Pride that gave as much reason for the British Navy and Marines to make the effort to invade Baltimore to destroy the shipyards making such schooner privateers; only to fail and leave Americans with our county’s National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, written in September of 1814, almost 200 years ago. Just after the burning of Washington DC government buildings as well the Navy Yard Pride is currently moored at. There is a lot of reflecting here in Maryland and Washington DC going on about what happened and why nearly two centuries ago. Lots of interesting details of that period are being re-understood and many new ways of depicting what happened and why is on display here at the Navy Yard Museum as well scattered around Maryland and for sure in Baltimore.

I hope all of you readers are taking a chance to visit such sites of history and attend events commemorating the actual anniversaries. The crescendo events scheduled to occur in Baltimore in September will be SPECTACULAR!!! Please come and help with the commemorations!!

Signed; the hard sailing Crew and Officers of Pride of Baltimore II

PRESS RELEASE: Maryland Day Celebrations with Pride of Baltimore II and the Maryland Historical Society

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Pride of Baltimore: Kate Cwiek kate@pride2.org 410-539-1170
Maryland Historical Society: Laura Rodini lrodini@mdhs.org 410-685-3750 Ext. 322

Maryland Day Celebrations with Pride of Baltimore II
and the Maryland Historical Society

See the Recreated Star-Spangled Banner Flag at the
Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis March 25, 2014

 


Img: Pride II

BALTIMORE, March 17, 2013 — The Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) is partnering with Pride of Baltimore II to celebrate Maryland Day with special events in Baltimore and Annapolis on Monday, March 24 and Tuesday, March 25, 2013.

On board “The Pride II” will be the 30 x 42 foot Star-Spangled Banner flag that over 1,000 Maryland Historical Society volunteers created in the summer of 2013 using authentic fabric and hand stitching techniques. The flag gained international media attention for The Maryland Historical Society and its partners in commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Burt Kummerow, President of the Maryland Historical Society, said that this March 25th has double importance. “Maryland sets aside March 25th every year to celebrate the founding of Maryland in 1634. This year, Maryland Day also points to the beginnings of a Star Spangled Banner events remembering the War of 1812 and the writing of the country’s national anthem.”

Following the voyage, beginning at 12:15 PM on Tuesday, March 25, the Pride of Baltimore II and the Maryland Historical Society will join forces with several other partners commemorating Maryland’s Star Spangled 200 events.

A procession featuring the recreated Star-Spangled Banner will take place from the Annapolis City Dock to the steps of the Statehouse .

A ceremony with elected officials and volunteer stitchers will follow. At 12:30PM, the recreated Star-Spangled Banner will be unfurled for the first time at the Statehouse before returning to be hoisted on the  “The Pride II” later that afternoon. The general public is welcome and invited to attend the ceremony. Free tours of Pride II will also be offered between 2:00 & 4:00 PM.

The complete schedule of Maryland Day events is as follows:

Monday, March 24

Details to come.

Tuesday, March 25

Baltimore
10:00 AM: Society of Colonial Wars wreath laying event
Location: Baltimore Courthouse, Cecilius Calvert Statue

Annapolis
12:15 PM: Procession of recreated Star-Spangled Banner flag to State House
Location: Annapolis City Dock

12:30 PM-1:30 PM: The recreated Star-Spangled Banner glad will be unfurled on the steps of the west (modern) end of the State House. Flag stitchers and local school children will display the Flag in a short ceremony
Location: Annapolis State House

1:15 PM: The Maryland Governor attends a 1812 Bicentennial Commission Award Ceremony
Location: Annapolis State House

1:30 PM: Return procession to City Dock with our SSB
Location: Annapolis Statehouse

2:00 – 4:00 PM: Tours of Pride of Baltimore II will be free and available to the general public. Flag Talks will be given by National Park Service staff
Location: Annapolis City Dock

4:30 – 6:30 PM
Private reception at City Dock on Pride of Baltimore II for General Assembly
Location: Annapolis City Dock

5:00 PM
Former State Archivist Dr. Ed Papenfuse keynote remarks about the meaning of Maryland Day
Location: Annapolis City Dock

What Is Maryland Day?


Img: Ark and Dove, John Moll, MdHS, M1955.44.1

In March, 1634, after a long, difficult Atlantic winter crossing, the ships Ark and Dove sailed up the Potomac River.  The March 25, 1634 mass on St. Clements Island celebrated the beginning of spring and the planting season, the Feast of the Annunciation and a fragile but hopeful escape from the religious bigotry that was rampant in 17th century Europe. In 1903, Maryland leaders set aside March 25 as a day devoted to remembering Maryland history. In 1916, as the United States entered a world war, the Old Line State turned Maryland History Day into an official holiday.

The Star-Spangled Banner’s Bicentennial Celebrations Continue


Img: The recreated Star-Spangled Banner flag with its stitchers and Education Director Kristin Schenning

Maryland Historical Society President Burt Kummerow said, “We can’t think of a better way to begin our Star Spangled Year than to unfurl our authentic recreation of the historic flag on the steps of the Maryland Statehouse.”

The Maryland Day celebration marks the second time the recreated Star-Spangled Banner will be on view to the public. On Defenders Day, 2013, the recreated Star-Spangled Banner flew for the first time at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore. The recreated Star-Spangled Banner will be featured this summer as part of Flag Day festivities at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. The original manuscript of The Star-Spangled Banner, penned in Francis Scott Key’s hand, will be on loan to the National Museum of American History from June 14-July 6, 2014.

The Maryland Historical Society is partnering with the following organizations to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812; Pride of Baltimore II, Fort McHenry national Monument and Historic Shrine, the General Assembly and the Statehouse Trust, the 1812 Bicentennial Commission, Star Spangled 200, the Ark and Dove Society, the Society of Colonial Wars and Historic Annapolis. The festivities will culminate in September, 2014 with a statewide “Star-Spangled Spectacular” celebration. For full details visit: http://www.starspangled200.com/.

For details about Pride II’s voyage from Baltimore to Annapolis, contact Marketing Manager Kate Cwiek at 410-539-1170 or kate@pride1.org.

For details about the recreated Star-Spangled Banner and Maryland Day events with The Maryland Historical Society, contact Marketing Director Laura Rodini at lrodini@mdhs.org or by phone: 410-685-3750 ext. 322.

About the Pride of Baltimore

Pride of Baltimore II represents early 19th Century Baltimore-built, topsail schooners – the sleek, fast, and maneuverable vessels famous during the War of 1812.  These schooners were privately owned, well-armed privateers that ran the British blockade of the U.S. ports. Chasseur was the largest, most successful of these privateers, and in a daring voyage to Great Britain, captured 17 British ships earning the nickname “Pride of Baltimore.” Since her commissioning in October of 1988, Pride has traveled over 250,000 nautical miles, visited 40 countries, and docked in over 200 ports of call. For more information on Pride’s 2014 sailing schedule, education initiatives, or membership program, please visit www.pride2.org.

About the Maryland Historical Society

Founded in 1844, The Maryland Historical Society Museum and Library occupies an entire city block in the Mount Vernon district of Baltimore. The society’s mission is to “collect, preserve, and interpret the objects and materials that reflect Maryland’s diverse cultural heritage.” The Society is home to the original manuscript of the Star-Spangled Banner and publishes a quarterly titled “Maryland Historical Magazine.” Visit www.mdhs.org.