The National Anthem of The United States became official in 1931. The Anthems history began the morning of September 14th, 1814. When an attorney & amateur poet named Francis Scott key watched U.S. soldiers, who were under bombardment from British naval forces during the War of 1812, raise a large American Flag over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.
BACKGROUND: WAR OF 1812
Simmering anger at Britain for interfering in American trade, impressing U.S. Sailors into the Royal Navy and standing in the way of westward expansion let the United States to declare War in June 1812.
With British forces distracted by the country’s ongoing war with France, the United States scored some encouraging early victories in the War of 1812. But after Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the British turned their full attention to the war in North America. That August, British troops invaded Washington D.C. and set fire to the White House, The Capital and other government buildings. The Royal Navy then turned its sights on the key seaport of Baltimore, Maryland.
On September 13th, U.S. Soldiers at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry withstood some 25 hours of British bombardment. Early the next morning, they hoisted a gigantic U.S. Flag over the fort, marking a crucial victory and a turning point in what would be considered a second war of American Independence.
Francis Scott Key –
A Maryland-born attorney with a thriving practice in Washington D.C., Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a ship anchored in Baltimore’s harbor. Key had been helping to negotiate the release of an American civilian, Dr William Beanes, who had been captured in an earlier battle. As a condition of the release, the British ordered the Americans not to return to shore during the attack on Baltimore.
Who Wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner”?
Francis Scott Key wrote it, and its initial verse on the back side of a letter while watching the gigantic American Flag waving over the fort that morning. Back in Baltimore, he continued working until he had completed four verses..(only one of which is commonly known today). After a local printer issued the song, originally called “Defence of Fort McHenry” two Baltimore newspapers printed it, and it spread quickly to various cities along the East Coast.
By November 1814, Key’s composition had appeared in print for the first time under the name..”The Star-Spangled Banner”. From a drinking song to American Anthem. Ironically, the melody Key assigned to accompany the Lyrics was a popular English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven”.
The Star-Spangled Banners history starts not with Francis Key, but a year earlier with Major George Armistead, the commander of Fort McHenry. Knowing that his fort was a likely British target, Armistead told the commander of Baltimore defenses in July 1813, that he needed a flag – “A BIG ONE” “We sir, are ready at Fort McHenry to defend Baltimore against invading by the enemy…EXCEPT that we have NO suitable ensign to display over the Star Fort, and it is my desire to have a flag SO LARGE that the British will have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance.
Armistead soon hired a 29 year old widow and professional flagmaker, Mary Young Pickersgill of Baltimore, Maryland to make a Garrison Flag measuring 30 by 42 feet with 15 Stars and 15 Stripes (each Star and Stripe representing a State). A VERY LARGE FLAG!
Over the next six weeks, Mary, her daughter, three of Mary’s nieces, a 13 year old indentured servant and possibly Mary’s mother (Rebecca Young) worked 10 hour days sewing the Flag, using 300 yards of English wool bunting. They made the Stars, each measuring two feet in diameter, from cotton..a luxury item at the time. Initially they worked from Mary’s home, (now a private museum known as the Flag house), but as their work progressed they needed more room and had to move to Claggett’s Brewery across the street.
On August 19th, 1813, the Flag was delivered to Fort McHenry.
For making the First American Flag, Mary was paid $405.90 – which would be around $15,000 today.
Today this incredible Flag is displayed behind glass at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
The survival of this incredible Flag for nearly 200 years is a visible testimony to the strength and perseverance of the NATION!