The Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key (1814)

 

The "Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. Its lyrics were written by Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and amateur poet, during the War of 1812. The song was inspired by Key's experience of witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor on the night of September 13-14, 1814.

Key had been sent by the American government to negotiate the release of American prisoners held by the British during the war. He was aboard a British ship, the HMS Tonnant, during the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Throughout the night, he anxiously watched to see if the American flag, known as the "Star-Spangled Banner," would continue to fly over the fort. When the morning light revealed that the American flag was still waving over Fort McHenry, Key was filled with a sense of patriotic pride. He began to write the poem that would later become the lyrics of the national anthem. The poem was originally titled "Defence of Fort M'Henry." The poem's first verse and chorus are the most well-known: "Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?" The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song of the time called "To Anacreon in Heaven." Over the years, the song became associated with various patriotic events and was often sung at public gatherings. In 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" was officially designated as the national anthem of the United States by an act of Congress. Today, it is customary to sing the national anthem at the beginning of many public events and gatherings, including sporting events, to honor and celebrate the United States. It remains a symbol of American patriotism and pride.