Tangier Island History
Plaque seen on Tangier Island, a vanishing place in the Chesapeake Bay. Tangier is notable for a distinctive dialect and an absence of cars. Q 7A TANGIER ISLAND The island was visited in 1608 by Captain John Smith, who gave it the name. It was settled in 1686 by John Crockett and his sons’ families. In 1814, it was the headquarters of a British Fleet ravaging Chesapeake Bay. From here the fleet sailed to attack Fort McHenry near Baltimore. The Rev. Joshua Thomas, in a prayer, predicted the failure of the expedition. It was in this attack that the Star-Spangled Banner was written. Virginia Conservation Commission 1948