Transcript The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner

The Story
of the
Star-Spangled Banner
The story of “The Star Spangled Banner” is a story
of heroism and courage that began late in the summer
of the year 1814.
For two years, the United States had been fighting
England in the War of 1812 and things were going
badly for the Americans.
By the summer of 1814, British troops had set fire
to the city of Washington, and nearby Baltimore
was under attack.
During the fighting, the British had taken many
Americans as prisoners. Among these was a
Maryland physician named Dr. William Beanes.
Dr. Beanes was being held on board one of the British
ships and the Doctor’s friends on shore asked the
United States government for help in getting him
released.
Colonel John S. Skinner, an expert in negotiating the
exchange of prisoners of war, was given the job of asking
for the doctor’s release. He was accompanied on this
mission by a close personal friend of Dr. Beanes’, a
young Washington lawyer named Francis Scott Key.
The two Americans were received politely by the British
officers on board the ship as they presented the officers
with letters from British prisoners who had received kind
treatment at the hands of Dr. Beanes.
Because of these letters, the British agreed to release
their prisoner but on the condition that they must not
leave the ship until after the British plan for an attack on
Baltimore’s Fort McHenry.
In the early morning hours of September 13, 1814, the heavy
bombing began and it continued all through the day.
Inside Fort McHenry, Colonel George Armistead ordered
that the large American flag he had recently ordered be
flown to show that they would not give up.
Francis Scott Key watched anxiously as twilight fell. At
times he could not even see the Fort but he hoped that
its flag still flew.
All through the night, the bombing continued and
through the darkness occasionally by the light of an
exploding rocket shell, Key was able to see the
American flag still flying proudly over the fort.
As dawn broke, a light wind sprang up and for a
moment as the smoke of the battle lifted, the prisoners
on the flag-of-truce boat could see that Fort McHenry
had not surrendered—the flag still flew!
Seizing an old letter from his pocket, Francis Scott Key
began to write, making notes for a poem that was to
become immortal.
When the British realized that there was not an easy
victory in sight, a cease fire was ordered and Francis
Scott Key, Colonel Skinner and Dr. Beane were set free.
Later that night in a Baltimore hotel room, Key
completed the writing of his poem and on September
20, 1814 it was published in a Baltimore newspaper
under the title, “The Defense of Fort McHenry.”
A few days later, the poem was set to music and sung
before a Baltimore audience. They used an old English
tune called “To Anachreon in Heaven.”
Over the years, under the title “The Star Spangled
Banner” it became even more popular. It was ordered
played to inspire the men during the Spanish American
War when it became our unofficial national anthem.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered “The StarSpangled Banner” played by all the Armed Forces of the
United States.
Finally, in March of 1931, the 71st Congress passed a
bill, officially designating “The Star-Spangled Banner”
as our country’s national anthem. The bill was signed
by President Hoover.
Today Americans everywhere are still inspired by the
sight of our flag and by the words of the song that
Francis Scott Key wrote to honor it.
And, as if in proof of those words, by order of the President
of the United States, our flag still flies both day and night
over historic Fort McHenry and in nearby Frederick,
Maryland over the grave of Francis Scott Key.
The
End