When you are finished discussing the questions, move on to the Got It? section to hear the song with music and to practice memorizing the National Anthem.In September 1814, Francis Scott Key, an attorney and DC insider, watched the American flag rise over Baltimore, Maryland’s Fort McHenry from a British ship in the harbor. How might these lyrics inspire an American who is fighting a war on behalf of his or her country?.How do the song lyrics convey Francis Scott Key’s experience in September 1814?.How do the song lyrics show pride in one’s country?.Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,Īnd this be our motto: “In God is our trust”Īnd the star-spangled banner in triumph shall waveĭiscuss the following questions with your teacher or parent: Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall standīetween their loved home and the war’s desolationīlest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land No refuge could save the hireling and slaveįrom the terror of flight, or the gloom of the graveĪnd the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,Ī home and a country should leave us no more ‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it waveĪnd where is that band who so vauntingly swore
Who invented the star spangled banner song full#
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,Īs it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Who invented the star spangled banner song free#
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streamingĪnd the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light Today, we typically only sing the first stanza, or group of lines, to help make it easier for people to remember: You will notice the original song Francis Scott Key wrote is a little longer than what we hear at baseball games. Now that you know the history of the National Anthem, read the lyrics as Francis Scott Key wrote them below. Soon, newspapers discovered the song and it was printed throughout the United States as, “The Star Spangled Banner,” sealing its place in history as the National Anthem. The commander felt inspired by Key’s words and had the song printed under the name, “Defense of Fort McHenry.” This song was distributed to all the men at Fort McHenry. Key showed the song he wrote to a commander at Fort McHenry. He was so overwhelmed with pride and excitement that he wrote what we now know as “The Star Spangled Banner” on the back of a letter.Īfter the Battle of Baltimore, the British released Key and his friend. Surprisingly, when Key awoke the next morning, he saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry, signaling that the Americans had won the battle. He also wrote he was certain the Americans could not win the battle under the continuous British fire. He later wrote that when night came, all he could see were red sparks and fire illuminating the night sky. On the night of the battle, Key watched from the ship as the British pelted the American fort. The British agreed to free Key’s friend, but they had overheard information involving the attack on Fort McHenry, and the British would not let the men leave the ship until after the attack. Key wanted to persuade the British to release his friend, who had been captured and held prisoner. For 25 hours, the British ships launched gunfire and cannons at the American fort.Ī few weeks prior to the Battle of Baltimore, Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer, willingly boarded a British naval ship. On September 13, 1814, the British navy attacked the fort in what is now known as the Battle of Baltimore. One of the most famous battles of the war was fought at Fort McHenry, located in Maryland’s Baltimore Harbor. The physical battle between the United States and Great Britain ignited after the British had made attempts to restrict U.S. It all began with the War of 1812, that took place on American soil from 1812 to 1815. Have you ever wondered where this song came from or why it is the national song of the United States? In this lesson, you will learn about the history of the United States’ National Anthem. Today, Americans often sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before sporting events and other events.