August 19, 1812: one American frigate against a British warship. Half an hour later, a discouraged country had its proof.

Key wrote it in 1814, but The Star-Spangled Banner didn't become the national anthem until 1931. A cartoon helped push Congress to act.

A dented British cannon at the Naval Academy tells the story of the shot that killed Captain George Downie at Plattsburgh in 1814.