'The Star-Spangled Banner,' America 250, and George Washington's Ice Cream Obsession

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The song is based on a poem written by Francis Scott Key, who watched American troops hold off British forces at the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Written in 1814, in the battle's immediate aftermath, the original poem borrowed a melody from a popular British song of the time.

> The song's melody was borrowed from a bawdy tavern song. (Watch)
> The title is a reference to the nickname of a massive flag at Fort McHenry. (Read)

Over the next century, "The Star-Spangled Banner" grew popular among Americans and, in 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill that finally designated it the national anthem. Soon after, sports leagues made the performance a regular pregame feature.

> The US lacked a national anthem for its first eight Olympics. (Read)

> Its association with sports was popularized by an impromptu performance during the 1918 World Series. (Watch)

It's now an American tradition for artists to put their own spin on the song. Likewise, some athletes have used media coverage of the pregame ritual to protest US policy. The song is still popular, with Americans overwhelmingly saying they would not prefer a change.

> Conductor Igor Stravinsky was warned by Boston police that it was illegal to "tamper" with the anthem. (Read)
> At the 1968 Olympics, two American athletes raised their fists in protest during the anthem. (Watch)

Discover more: 

> A guide to the 30 best performances of the anthem. (Read)

> Whitney Houston's 1991 rendition is the only recording of the song to reach the top 40. (Watch)

> Marvin Gaye's 1983 version reimagined it as a slow jam. (Watch)
> Jimi Hendrix's 1969 performance at Woodstock deconstructed it into a dissonant tone poem. (Watch)

Behind the News 

1440 brings you the knowledge behind the week's stories:

"America 250" celebrations ring in the country's semiquincentennial. (More)

> Walt Whitman wrote a poem for the country's centennial, but it didn't earn him an invite to the official celebration.

> The sesquicentennial, the country's 150th celebration, nearly bankrupted its host city.

World Cup tourists are intrigued by American delicacies, like the cheesesteak. (More)

> Steak sandwiches had been around since the 1800s, but the cheesesteak came into its own in the 1940s.

> Go inside Dalessandro's, the Michelin-recognized cheesesteak shop.

"Uncle Tom's Cabin" author Harriet Beecher Stowe died 130 years ago. (More)

> The influential antislavery novel was originally released in installments.

> A 1903 adaptation was one of the first feature-length American films.

The Grateful Dead reissues "Steal Your Face" for the live album's 50th anniversary. (More)

> The recording is from the band's "Wall of Sound" era, when they were using a three-story, 75-ton, 600-speaker sound system.

> The band's "Truckin'" was the first song delivered by a podcast.

Cultural Context

Beyond our weekly deep dives, we love finding great takes on the culture currently shaping our lives. Here are some of the best reactions, profiles, and think pieces we encountered this week.

A Close Reading of One Sentence

NY Times | AO Scott. The noted film critic turns his eye to a single line from the Declaration of Independence, analyzing its meaning, nuance, and legacy. You might have studied the text in a high school civics class, but it's refreshing to read in this context. (More)

> The document has served as a model for more than 100 nations and freedom organizations writing their own declarations.

The 100 Greatest Songs of the 1960s

Paste | Staff. This isn't limited to American artists, but it does include a number of them—like Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, and the Supremes—from a pivotal decade in American music. Is it definitive? No. Is it thought-provoking? Maybe. Is it fun? Absolutely. (More)

> One of the most successful girl groups ever, the Supremes racked up 12 number-one singles.
> Watch a 1965 press conference with Bob Dylan mocking the concept of celebrity.

What 'The Bear' Did Right, According to Industry Experts

Eater | Bettina Makalintal. The popular restaurant drama recently released its final season, so Makalintal talks to people who spend most of their time in kitchens to understand the show's impact on the industry. (More)

> Go inside Ever, the Chicago restaurant featured in "The Bear."

 Etcetera 

> Mark Twain started writing "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to distract himself.

> George Washington once spent thousands of dollars on ice cream in a single summer.

> A list of the hundred best artworks about America, including Norman Rockwell, Jasper Johns, and many more.

> The ultraviolent Mortal Kombat led to the video game industry's first rating system.

> Many believe Georgia O'Keeffe's flowers—the painter's most famous motif—represent female genitalia, but the artist rejected that interpretation.

> Explore the history of American restaurants through an archive of menus.

> Silent movie star Buster Keaton tried to turn the Civil War into a comedy with "The General," a 1926 flop that's been reconsidered by film buffs.
 

> The expression "out in left field," an idiom for an eccentric, was likely inspired by a poorly designed baseball stadium in Massachusetts.

> Record scratching, a technique that came to define the sound of hip-hop, was invented by a 12-year-old.
 

> Wander through the Criterion Closet, featuring some of cinema's most famous films.

> Frisbees earned their name from a pie company that made tins that college students tossed around campus.

> A blind taste test in 1976 judged that California produced better wine than France, realigning the wine world.

> More on "Obsession," Radiohead's early AI bot, and the Library of America at 1440's Society & Culture hub.