Francis Scott Key
Believe: The Author of the Star-Spangled Banner
September 14, 1814
Francis Scott Key watched throughout the night and into the early morning as American troops bravely defended Fort McHenry from the British navy for 25 grueling hours. The British were met with a determined American resistance, and on September 14, 1814, after failing to take Fort McHenry and proceed on to Baltimore as planned, the navy ceased fire at 7:30 am and prepared to retreat. As day dawned, Francis Scott Key could see an American flag flying above Fort McHenry. If the flag had been removed or replaced with a British flag, that would have meant the fort had been captured. The sight of the American flag flying above Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814 was, for all who saw it, a symbol of enduring American patriotism, determination, sacrifice, and freedom.
While he was still on his ship, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem which described his experience watching the attack of Fort McHenry. The words (which Francis Scott Key did not title) were distributed by a local printer and then published in newspapers as “The Defence of Fort McHenry.” As a result, Francis Scott Key’s firsthand account of the bravery he witnessed at Fort McHenry was shared with Americans far and wide.
When you feel helpless and afraid, what do you do? Are you led to pray, sing a song, cry out to God, or write out your feelings while you wait?
The original flag that Francis Scott Key saw in the morning light and wrote his poem about was commissioned by Major George Armistead, who commanded Ft. McHenry. The government hired Mary Pickersgill, a woman from Baltimore, to sew the flag. Two flags were made, one extra large and one small. The flag that was flown the morning after the battle, which Key wrote about, was enormous! It was originally 30 feet by 42 ft, which is larger than most American flags we see today. It had to be made huge so that those far away – like Francis Scott Key and General Ross, miles away from Ft. McHenry on the British ship – could see it!
Today you can view the original “Star-Spangled Banner” at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. It looks a bit different, though! For one, only a portion of the flag is left because after the flag was brought down, Major Armistead held onto it, and his family gave away small snippets of the flag – including 1 star – to special guests who would come to visit, such as veterans and government officials. Those who received these cuttings of the flag treated the pieces with honor and displayed them with pride, some framing them in their homes, and others donated their pieces of flag to museums. The Smithsonian today has thirteen pieces from the original “Star-Spangled Banner” in its collections. While the flag cannot be reconstructed and looks a little odd being cut up, these pieces give clues to our national flag’s history and the details that make the original so unique and priceless.
