On September 20, 1814, the Baltimore Patriot and The American printed the song. Nicholson recommended putting the words to the tune of “The Anacreontic Song," also called “To Anacreon in Heaven," a popular British song composed by John Stafford Smith. He then showed his poem to his brother-in-law, Judge Joseph H. After returning to Baltimore, he finished the poem in his room at the Indian Queen Hotel on September 16. He scribbled the first verses on the back of an envelope. Surprised and inspired by the sight of the American flag still flying above the fort, Key began writing a poem called “Defence of Fort McHenry" on the morning of September 14. He was overjoyed to see that the smaller storm flag had been replaced with a larger American flag, which was still triumphantly waving. When the smoke cleared in the morning, Key looked toward Fort McHenry to see if the flag was still there. Although the British bombed the fort for 25 hours, they weren't able to destroy it. Throughout the night, he saw that the fort's small storm flag continued to fly. The British decided to hold him captive until after the battle.Īs a temporary prisoner, Key could do nothing but watch the American forces at Fort McHenry be bombarded by the British on the night of September 13, 1814. Unfortunately, Key overheard certain details of the British plans for an impending attack on Baltimore. To listen to the anthem, view one of the original copies of the poem written by Francis Scott Key, and to view images of the original flag, see the Smithsonian’s Star Spangled Banner site.During the War of 1812, 35-year-old Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and amateur poet, met with British military leaders aboard the British ship HMS Tonnant to plead for the release of a close friend who had been taken prisoner.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |