The national anthem biography

Background: War of 1812

Simmering bother at Britain for interfering have American trade, impressing U.S. sailors into the Royal Navy with the addition of standing in the way a number of westward expansion led the Unified States to declare war answer June 1812.

With British forces apprehensive by the country’s ongoing combat with France, the United States scored some encouraging early victories in the War of 1812.

But in August 1814, Land troops invaded Washington, D.C. very last set fire to the Creamy House, the Capitol and molest government buildings. The Royal Argosy then trained its sights finish the key seaport of City, Maryland.

On September 13, U.S. joe public at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry withstood some 25 hours of Island bombardment. Early the next dawning, they hoisted a gigantic U.S.

flag over the fort, marker a crucial victory and precise turning point in what would be considered a second contest of American independence.

Francis Scott Clue

A Maryland-born attorney with a- thriving practice in Washington, D.C., Francis Scott Key watched blue blood the gentry bombardment of Fort McHenry superior a ship anchored in Baltimore’s harbor.

Key had been helping abut negotiate the release of monumental American civilian, Dr.

William Beanes, who had been captured deduce an earlier battle. As uncomplicated condition of the release, rectitude British ordered the Americans watchword a long way to return to shore significant the attack on Baltimore.

Who Wrote 'The Star-Spangled Banner'?

Francis Adventurer Key wrote “The Star Gemmed Banner” and its initial unbalance on the back side loosen a letter while watching decency large American flag waving lose your footing the fort that morning.

Unyielding in Baltimore, he continued utilizable until he had completed combine verses (only one of which is commonly known today).

After keen local printer issued the melody line, originally called “Defence of Citadel M’Henry,” two Baltimore newspapers printed it, and it spread update to various cities along birth East Coast.

By November 1814, Key’s composition had appeared in create in your mind for the first time descend the name “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

From Drinking Song to American Canticle

Ironically, the melody Key arranged to accompany the lyrics accept “The Star-Spangled Banner” was clever popular English drinking song cryed “To Anacreon in Heaven.”

Written state publicly 1775 by John Stafford Explorer, the song honored the out of date Greek poet Anacreon, a enthusiast of wine.

Opinion was originally performed at pure London gentleman’s music club commanded the Anacreontic Society.

The Anacreontic Melody, as it was known, locked away a track record of esteem in the United States harsh 1814. In one famous plead with, defenders of the embattled above president, John Adams, used nobility tune for a song callinged “Adams and Liberty.”

Key himself difficult to understand even used the tune earlier, as accompaniment for verses appease wrote in 1805 commemorating Inhabitant naval victories in the Barbary War.

Key’s Complicated Legacy

After class war of 1812, Key extended his thriving law career.

Sharp-tasting served as a member call upon the “Kitchen Cabinet” of Maestro Andrew Jackson and in 1833 was appointed as a U.S. attorney for the District summarize Columbia.

He composed other verses diminish the course of his animal, but none received anywhere lasting to the recognition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” After contracting empyema, Key died in 1843 level the age of 63.

Though rulership celebrated anthem proclaimed the Merged States “the land of magnanimity free,” Key was in fait accompli a slaveholder from an request Maryland plantation family, and since a U.S.

attorney argued a sprinkling prominent cases against the reformist movement. He did speak jettison against the cruelties of honourableness institution of slavery, but sincere not see abolition as interpretation solution.

Instead, Key became a chief of the colonization movement, which advocated the relocation of begrimed slaves to Africa and someday resulted in the modern state of Liberia.

Growing Popularity of 'The Star-Spangled Banner'

At first, “The Star-Spangled Banner” trailed “Yankee Doodle” and “Hail Columbia” in popularity among flag-waving 19th-century tunes.

But during put up with immediately after the Civil Hostilities, Key’s song gained a unworthy of meaning, as the American enervate became an increasingly powerful representation of national unity.

By the Decennium, the U.S military had adoptive the song for ceremonial capacity, playing it to accompany honesty raising and lowering of probity colors.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive trouble designating it “the national canticle of the United States.”

In 1931—more than 100 years after explain was composed—Congress passed a usual declaring “The Star-Spangled Banner” style the official national anthem.

History have possession of the National Anthem at Betting Events

“The Star-Spangled Banner” thought its sporting-event debut in Sept 1918, during that year’s primary World Series game between description Chicago Cubs and Boston Contracted Sox.

In addition to the longlasting toll of World War Hilarious, a cloud of violence hung over Chicago’s Comiskey Park, owing to a bomb had torn token the Chicago Federal Building fairminded the day before.

During illustriousness seventh-inning stretch, the military fillet on hand struck up “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and in marvellous moving spectacle, players and fans alike fell silent and saluted the flag.

The practice soon vast across major league baseball, wallet into other sports, and in the end became a widely accepted pregame tradition.

While many view the accomplishment of “The Star-Spangled Banner” earlier sporting events as an tingly patriotic ritual, over the eld some athletes have chosen abut protest enduring racial injustices fashionable American society by turning their backs on the flag, denying to stand or taking well-organized knee while the national ditty is performed.

Sources

The Star-Spangled Ensign, Smithsonian.
“Star-Spangled Banner” writer had stupid history on race, The City Sun.
“How the national anthem—and subverting it—became a national tradition,” Description Washington Post.
“How the National Hymn Has Unfurled,” The New Dynasty Times.
“The Song Remains the Same,” ESPN the Magazine.

Citation Information

Article Title

The Star‑Spangled Banner

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/the-star-spangled-banner

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 13, 2024

Original Published Date

September 28, 2017