Historical Context

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Table of
Contents

Map 1: Baltimore and Fort McHenry in 1814

Questions for Map 1

1. About 46,000 people lived in Baltimore in 1810, making it the third largest city in the United States in terms of population.  What clues can you find in the map to help you figure out how big the city was physically?  What does that suggest about what most American cities were like during this period?

2. Find the Chesapeake Bay on Map 1.  Next find the Patapsco River and Baltimore.  How far is Baltimore from the Bay?  

3. Baltimore was an important center for shipping.  In what ways do you think the city’s location might be good for merchants?  How might it create problems?

4. Why do you think Fort McHenry was located where it is?

5. Find Lazaretto Battery.  “Battery” is a term used for a group of big, long-range guns.  Why do you think the Lazaretto Battery might have been located where it was?

* Click for a larger version of Map 1