“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. The song is based on a poem written by Francis Scott Key in 1814, during the War of 1812, while watching American troops hold off British forces at the Battle of Baltimore. Written in the battle’s immediate aftermath, the original poem borrowed a melody from a popular British song of the time.
Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
The song is based on “Defence of Fort M’Henry” a poem written by Francis Scott Key, a lawyer negotiating for the release of American soldiers when Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, was attacked by the British.
Designed and fabricated by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill, the flag has 15 stars and 15 stripes and was 30 feet by 42 feet, a size big enough to be seen by Francis Scott Key, who was eight miles away from Fort McHenry when he began composing his poem.
Key’s original poem, “The Defence of Fort M’Henry,” was written to the meter of a well-known drinking song: “The Anacreon Song,” also known as “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The original song has more than a few sexual innuendos and was written by a Brit, two details that seem at odds with the serious and patriotic lyrics of Key’s poem.
The national anthem features a number of specific references (and outdated sentiments) that might be lost on modern listeners. This resource allows you to decode some of Key’s more complicated lines by reading accompanying notes from three specialists.
The week after Key wrote it, “Defence of Fort M’Henry” was published in the Baltimore Patriot newspaper. Soon, it would be printed in papers across the US. Eventually, its name was changed to a more recognizable one: “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Like the majority of Americans, Francis Scott Key was opposed to the US declaring war on Great Britain, calling the move “abominable.” His feelings began to change after the British raided Washington, D.C. He joined the Georgetown Artillery shortly after.
Key may now be known for his poetry, but he entered the War of 1812 as a renowned lawyer in Frederick, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. After the war, he was nominated by President Andrew Jackson to serve as District Attorney for Washington, D.C., which he did from 1833 to 1841.
Although songs like “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” were informal anthems, the country did not have an official national anthem. That changed in 1931, when President Herbert Hoover signed a bill into law designating the song as the national anthem.
The song is often played at the start of amateur and professional sports games, a tradition that historians say became popular during World War I. During the seventh-inning stretch of the first game of the 1918 World Series, a band started an impromptu version. Red Sox player Fred Thomas, on leave from the Navy, turned to salute the flag, and the crowd followed his lead.
Houston’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” from Super Bowl XXV is a rather straightforward take on Francis Scott Key’s song, if you consider Houston’s impeccable vocal delivery “straightforward.” The song was released as in 1991 to benefit soldiers and families of the Persian Gulf War and then again in 2001 to benefit firefighters and victims of September 11 terrorist attacks.
Art, music, sports, entertainment, movies, and many other subjects—these elements define who we are as a society and how we express ourselves as a culture. Take a deep dive into the topics shaping our shared norms, values, institutions, and more.