Capture The Flag

The flag at the center of Capture the Flag inspired Francis Scott Key to write the “Star-Spangled Banner,” which would become the United States’ anthem and the flag’s nickname. References to many historical figures abound throughout the novel, which hinges on the idea that the preservation of historic art and artifacts is essential for understanding personal heritage and national identity. The flag itself, which is kept at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, was raised over Fort McHenry in 1814 as a sign of the US victory in the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. According to the Smithsonian’s website, the flag currently measures 30x34 feet in size but was originally 30x42 feet. Respect for the flag’s storied history is explicit from the novel’s first chapter, and Messner provides context for readers about how the flag got smaller over time: “[T]he flaws are part of her history. The bits of stripes were cut away over the years and tucked into caskets by the widows of Fort McHenry’s heroes. The star there [... is rumored to be] buried with Lincoln,” (6). Messner also provides information about George Armistead, who commissioned the flag, and about Mary Pickersgill, who sewed the flag “assisted by her daughter, two nieces, and an indentured African-American girl” named Grace Wisher (“