Only three years old at the time, Edgar Allan Poe was alive for the intense war of 1812, between two of the superpowers of the time, U.S. and Britain, where the White House and Capitol was burned. Also during the same year, Poe was alive for the creation of the Star Spangled Banner. Living through the reign of eight Presidents, he was, in addition, alive for the annexation of Florida, Missouri, and Texas. Religion was an essential part of Poe’s life and philosophy. In many of his poems and short stories, his religious background was revealed, and he would often refer to a scene from the bible. Poe didn’t really care much for the politics of the day, though he did think that non whites were inferior, which was the same sort of thinking that existed in his time in the South. In one of his stories, he created a picture that defined the depth of his racism.