The Star-Spangled Banner
Joanne Quaglia
1Almost everyone has attended an athletic competition or a school event and has proudly risen for the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the activities commenced. Old and young alike sing the words to our national anthem with pride and patriotism. It is one of the most inspirational songs ever written. But, have you ever wondered where the song originated and what inspired its words?
2In the summer of 1814, America continued to clash with Great Britain in the War of 1812. During one of the battles, the British Navy led an attack on Baltimore Harbor, which was defended by soldiers at Fort McHenry. At that time, Baltimore was home to a well-known lawyer named Francis Scott Key. British soldiers imprisoned one of Key's close friends, and Key and Colonel John Skinner, a government agent who arranged for prisoner exchanges, met with the British Royal Navy days before the attack on Baltimore to plead for their friend's release.
3On board the British flagship, the officers were kind to Key and Skinner and agreed to the release of Key's friend on the condition that the three men wait until the Battle of Baltimore ended before returning home. The officers placed Key and his friends back on their boat in Baltimore Harbor, where they anxiously waited for the skirmish to end. From a distance of approximately eight miles, the three men observed the British attack on Fort McHenry.
4The commander at Fort McHenry, Colonel George Armistead, had anticipated a battle with the British, since Baltimore was then the third largest city in America. Prior to the start of the battle, he commissioned the construction of a flag that was so big that the British could see it from a great distance. At Armistead's request, the 30- by 42-foot flag was positioned atop Fort McHenry. Key and his friends could clearly see the flag from their boat in the harbor.
5The British bombardment of Fort McHenry started on September 13, 1814, and continued for the next twenty-five hours. The British fired bombshells that weighed as much as 220 pounds and were supposed to explode on contact with their targets. The artillery was not very reliable, however, and often blew up in mid-air, creating a dazzling fireworks display for Key and the others. From small boats, the British fired rockets that spouted red flames as they streamed across the sky. The fighting stopped for a few hours, but the British fleet eventually resumed its attack, lighting up the night sky.
6Key and his friends watched the battle with nervousness. They knew that as long as they heard the shelling, Fort McHenry had not surrendered. Long before daybreak, an eerie silence fell over the harbor. The three men wondered what had happened. Had the British taken over the fort? Had they defeated the Americans? In the darkness, the men could not see the fort, and they anxiously awaited daylight. When dawn approached, they looked across the harbor to see Colonel Armistead's flag still blowing in the breeze. The flag was still there! The Americans had won the battle.
7Inspired by the sight of the flag still flying atop the fort, Key took an envelope from his pocket and wrote a poem originally titled "Defence of Fort McHenry." Later, the poem was set to music and was renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner." It was a very popular patriotic song throughout the decades and, in 1931, became our national anthem.
This passage is designed to
Responses
A explain the causes behind the War of 1812.explain the causes behind the War of 1812.
B encourage the reader to learn the national anthem.encourage the reader to learn the national anthem.
C tell about the origins of "The Star-Spangled Banner."tell about the origins of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
D describe life of a laywer in nineteenth-century America.