the meaning of the star spangled banner song

I am going in the morning to Balt to proceed in a flag-vessel to Genl Ross. On September 2, 1814, from his home in Georgetown, F.S. Beanes was accused of aiding the arrest of some British soldiers (stragglers withdrawing after the Washington campaign) who were pillaging homes. It is now on display at the Maryland Historical Society.įollowing the Burning of Washington and the Raid on Alexandria, Dr William Beanes, the elderly and popular town physician of Upper Marlboro and a friend of Key had been captured in his home on August 28, 1814. įrancis Scott Key's original manuscript copy of his 'Defence of Fort M'Henry' poem. wars, other songs emerged to compete for popularity at public events, among them ' America the Beautiful', which itself was being considered before 1931 as a candidate to become the national anthem of the United States.

Following the War of 1812 and subsequent U.S. ' My Country, 'Tis of Thee', whose melody is identical to ' God Save the King', the United Kingdom's national anthem, also served as a de facto national anthem. ' Hail, Columbia' served this purpose at official functions for most of the 19th century. § 301), which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.īefore 1931, other songs served as the hymns of U.S. president Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on Ma(46 Stat. 'The Star-Spangled Banner' was recognized for official use by the United States Navy in 1889, and by U.S. Although the poem has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today. With a range of 19 semitones, it is known for being very difficult to sing. This setting, renamed 'The Star-Spangled Banner', soon became a well-known U.S. ' To Anacreon in Heaven' (or 'The Anacreontic Song'), with various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a men's social club in London. flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the U.S. The lyrics come from the ' Defence of Fort M'Henry', a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Outer Baltimore Harbor in the Patapsco River during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Historic events make way for art that last centuries.' The Star-Spangled Banner' is the national anthem of the United States. Though popular among the American people, “The Star-Spangled Banner” wasn’t adopted as the official anthem of the United States until Congress and President Herbert Hoover signed it into law in 1931.ĭespite what exactly makes an anthem, one thing is for certain. It would take quite a few years for the song to build its legacy, however. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave The song’s name came about due to a brave music printer who took the liberty of changing the title to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The rest, of course, is history. included the heroic verses in their copies. It was printed under the title of “Defence of Fort McHenry,” and newspapers all over the U.S. Odd, no?ĭespite the strange nature of the accompanying music, the song quickly became a hit. What may be strange about the accompanying tune is that it was a familiar drinking song composed by a British composer. The song was linked to the Anacreontic Society, an amateur musician’s and singer’s club named after the Greek poet Anacreon. The historic lyrics started as a poem called “The Defence of Fort McHenry” and were later set to a tune called “The Anacreontic Song,” composed in the late 1700s by a man named John Stafford Smith. Key found inspiration in the large United States flag, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort after the U.S. The War of 1812 had just begun, and lawyer/amateur poet Francis Scott Key had just witnessed the destruction of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. But how did the song come to be known as the United States’ national anthem? Raising their hands to their hearts, everyone proudly recites the beloved song from long-instilled memory. We’ve heard Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner” millions of times – opening at sports events, at patriotic celebrations, and more. What is it exactly that makes an anthem? Is it the lyrics, the music, the writer? When you think of anthems, one really big one probably comes to mind.

The meaning of the star spangled banner song