Author Unknown
The Star-Spangled Banner was composed under the following circumstances.
It was on the evening of September 13, 1814, during the War of 1812, that a British fleet was anchored in Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Beanes, an old resident of Upper Marlborough, Maryland, had been captured by the British and sent as a prisoner to Admiral Cochrane’s flagship.
Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer of Baltimore, hearing of the misfortune of his friend, hastened to the British commander to endeavor to have him released. The enemy was about to attack Fort McHenry, so refused to allow Mr. Key and Dr. Beanes to return until after the fort was captured.
All through the night of September 13th, the bombardment continued and in the light of the “rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air” they could see the American flag still waving over the old fort. When in the first rays of dawn of September 14th, he still beheld the same glorious banner waving from its accustomed place, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem The Star-Spangled Banner.
The next day Key went ashore, and, after copying his poem, showed it to a relative, Judge Nicholson, who saw its worth. At his suggestion it was printed. Soon after it was adapted to an English air known as To Anacreon in Heaven, the composition of which is credited to John Stafford Smith, who is supposed to have written the music sometime between 1700 and 1775. The Star-Spangled Banner was first sung in public by an actor, Ferdinand Durang, in a tavern near the Holiday Street Theatre in Baltimore.
Francis Scott Key was the son of John Ross Key, an officer of the Revolutionary Army. He was born August 1, 1779, and died January 11, 1843, leaving The Star-Spangled Banner as a monument to his patriotic spirit, and an inspiration to his countrymen.
On March 3, 1931 The Star-Spangled Banner was made our national anthem by act of Congress.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY JOHN STAFFORD SMITH
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Oh say! Can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proud-ly we hailed at the
Twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’the perilous fight, O’er the ram-parts we watch’d, were so gal-lant-ly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro’the night that our flag was still there, Oh, say, does that Star-span-gled Ban-ner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
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On the shore, dimly seen thro’the mists of the deep, Where the foes haughty host in dread
si-lence re- pos-es, What is that which the breeze,o’er the tow-er-ing steep, As it
fit – ful-ly blows, half con-ceals, half dis-clos-es? Now it catch-es the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In full glory re-flect-ed now shines on the stream; ‘Tis the Star-spangled Ban-ner, oh, long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
3. Oh, thus be it ev-er when free men shall stand Between their lov’d homes and the
wars de – so – lation! Blest with vic-t’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued-land Praise the
Pow’r that hath made and pre-served us a na-tion! Then con-quer we must, when our
Cause it is just, And this be our mot-to: “In God is our trust!” And the Star-spangled Ban-ner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Published U.S. Legacies July 2004
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