The Star-Spangled Banner

THE STORY OF THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER

In 1812, the United States was at war with England. One terrible battle of the war was fought near Baltimore, Maryland at Fort McHenry.

Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer and amateur poet. In 1814 he was on a British Navy ship trying to negotiate the release of some American prisoners. While he was on the ship the British began to attack Fort McHenry. As the British opened fire on the American fort, Key watched from the deck of the ship. As the sun began to set he could still see the American flag flying over the fort. He watched the battle all night and although it was dark he could sometimes see the flag by the light of the exploding rockets and bombs. At “dawn’s early light,” he was able to see that the flag was still flying that he had last seen “at the twilight’s last gleaming.” The British also saw the flag and realized that their attack had failed.

Key was inspired by the American victory so he wrote a poem about all that he had seen. The words of the poem were set to the music of another song that was popular at the time. Key’s song quickly became popular and was published in newspapers all across the country. Over 100 years later, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was officially adopted as the national anthem of the United States.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?