Baltimore was one of three simultaneous British operations aimed toward Baltimore, New York, and New Orleans, each originally expected to receive roughly 10,000 troops. The Baltimore force moved early after its easy success at Washington, while more veterans and heavier naval support became available as the European war wound down. Britain had also occupied much of Maine and proclaimed the colony of New Ireland, although it later returned the territory under the Treaty of Ghent. Possible ambitions to keep other ports remain uncertain, but expeditionary lift, veteran formations, and bargaining leverage made the campaign more than a single raid on one city. In a clearly counterfactual extension, British possession of major American ports could later have intersected with Britain's anti-slavery policy, creating political consequences beyond the immediate campaign.
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Britain's three-pronged campaign in 1814
The Baltimore expedition belonged to a wider British attempt to pressure several American ports while veteran manpower and naval forces were becoming available after the Napoleonic Wars.