James McHenry (November 16, 1753–May 3, 1816) was an early American statesman. McHenry was a signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland and the namesake of Fort McHenry, the bombardment of which inspired the American national anthem "Star-Spangled Banner." He was also a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland, and the third United States Secretary of War, under Presidents George Washington and John Adams.
McHenry was born was born into a Scotch-Irish family at Ballymena, Ulster, (the then northern province of Ireland), in 1753. He enjoyed a classical education at Dublin, and emigrated to Philadelphia in 1771 where he became a physician and ran a Baltimore import-export business with his brother.
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, which played a role in the War of 1812 and the authorship of the Star-Spangled Banner, is named for McHenry.
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Last updated: 10-12-2005 20:57:53
