'The Star-Spangled Banner' celebrates 200 years
The Star-Spangled Banner turns 200 on Sunday and, even today, it has aged gracefully.
Sept. 14 marks 200 years since the poem was put to paper. Written by Francis Scott Key as he saw the American flag swaying in the final moments of the British bombardment at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. He was inspired by the flag's survival after the 25-hour, 1,800-bomb assault, according to the History Channel.
Key, a poet and lawyer, started with one verse quickly jotted down on the back of a letter, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History says. It's the most commonly known portion of his piece and often the only portion sung today. Key later expanded it by adding three verses, filled with the same rich imagery.
Coming in at 314 words, Key's poem immortalized the patriotism that inspired his first round of scribbles. The poem was soon printed in newspapers — first in two Baltimore publications, then, by mid-October, in at least 17 other newspapers across the country, the Smithsonian says.
Key's knack for words made it meaningful, but it was when those words were put to music that The Star-Spangled Banner began to take off. The poem was set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven," a theme of London's Anacreontic Society, a gentlemen's music club, according to National Park Service's Fort McHenry's website. With the pacing matching up to rhythm, this made Key's words even more powerful.
As the song's popularity increased, it became more legitimized nationally. In the 1890s, the military adopted the song for the raising and lowering of the American flag at official ceremonies.
President Hoover officially made The Star-Spangled Banner the country's national anthem in March 1931, according to the History Channel.
The anthem has become a part of American tradition. Played at sporting events, political occasions and in schools throughout the country, it still resonates today, both for its heart-wrenching renditions and some major flubs.
So Sunday, sing it a little bit louder in honor of its 200th anniversary.