These words start our Star-Spangled Banner as the National Anthem for the United States of America that was officially adopted in 1931 as our country's anthem. The lyrics come from a poem, "Defence of Fort McHenry", [old English spelling of "Defense"] a poem written by Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814 during the War of 1812 aboard British ship HMS Minden, under a flag of truce for the mission was approved by President James Madison. Francis Scott Key was a 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, who wrote the poem after witnessing the continuous shelling and bombardment of Fort McHenry after 25 hours by British Royal Navy ships in the Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry.
Key was inspired by the American victory and the sight of the large American flag or the Great Garrison Flag flying triumphantly above the fort at dawn. This flag, with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, came to be known as the STAR-SPANGLED BANNER FLAG and is today on display in the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian.
No comments:
Post a Comment