Star Spangled Banner

“Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.” On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key witnessed the resilience of the star spangled banner as it waved through the bombardment on Fort McHenry in Baltimore. It was this star spangled banner that inspired the poem that would soon become our national anthem.

Though the star spangled banner is not waving the way it once was, it is still around. In fact, the same star spangled banner that inspired Francis Scott Key is hanging in the Smithsonian to this day where it will continue to inspire a nation.

The star spangled banner had a humble beginning as a simple garrison flag created in 1813. After inspired the national anthem by surviving the bombardment on Fort McHenry, it became a treasured item belonging to Lt. Col. George Armistead. However, the fame of the star spangled banner transformed it into a national treasure and it found its way to the Smithsonian in 1907.

The national anthem itself has an interesting story. Francis Scott Key originally wrote a poem and its title was “Defense of Fort M'Henry.” He suggested that the poem be sung to the tune “To Anacreon in Heaven.” It was a music store that put the words and the music together calling the song, “Star Spangled Banner.”

The song that originated in 1814 continued to gain popularity. By 1861, it was commonly played at patriotic events. It was even adopted by the army and navy, yet it was 1931 before Congress officially adopted the song as our national anthem.

Today, both the song and the flag continue to inspire Americans. We are reminded of the past and the endurance our great nation has attained throughout the struggles that we have been faced with along the way to becoming one of the greatest nations in the world.