The opening notes to the Star Spangled Banner, Oh say can you see, are some of the most recognizable in the world. Aside from the first five words, most Americans don’t know the rest of the song.
We know the opening words, “Oh say can you see”, and maybe the first five after that, “by the dawn’s early light”. But few of us could belt out the rest of The Star Spangled Banner from memory. I certainly can’t. Nor would I try, at least not with my voice.
It’s the history of our National Anthem, however, that makes it a treasure.
Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer and amateur poet, wrote the words against the backdrop of the War of 1812.
Sometimes referred to as the Second War for Independence, the War of 1812 was the first test of the young nation.
Following a series of events in which the British Navy was “impressing” unwilling American soldiers into its service. As well as inciting Native American tribes to rise against the new Republic, the United States declared war on Great Britain. It was the first declaration of war since the Revolution.
Battles took place on land and at sea. British forces attacked America’s naval forces and took Washington, D.C., by force. The White House was burned during the British occupation of the capital.
During British attempts to secure Fort McHenry near Baltimore, Maryland, Key was inspired to pen the words that would eventually become our National Anthem.
“It seemed as though mother earth had opened and was vomiting shot and shell in a sheet of fire and brimstone.”
Francis Scott Key
Awakening following a night of heavy bombardment, Key rose to the sight of a thirty-by forty-two-foot United States Flag flying proudly over the fort.
The flag had ample meaning. Foremost, it signified that American forces had retained control of the fort and that they were not giving up.
Moved by the sight, Key hastily penned words to a future poem. Later that week, he completed the poem “Defense of Fort M’Henry.”
On September 20, the Baltimore Patriot published Key’s work. Shortly after, Key’s brother-in-law put the words to music. Within weeks, the Star Spangled Banner was published in newspapers nationwide.
Nearly two centuries later, the flag that inspired Key still survives, though fragile and worn by the years.
The National Museum of American History.
Growing in popularity, the “Star Spangled Banner” became a symbol uniting the country under the flag it celebrated.
Throughout the 1800s, the Star Spangled Banner was played at military ceremonies and before baseball games.
Spectators stood proudly, hand over heart, as the American flag flew above them.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson adopted the song as a de facto national anthem. It wasn’t until 1931 that the song became the official National Anthem of the United States.
One Nation. One Flag. One Anthem.
Like the flag it celebrates, the “Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes patriotism and unity for all Americans.
Key wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner” as a joyous poem after he was relieved that the United States had prevailed against British attack. The sight of the flag waving proudly above Fort McHenry inspired the young poet to express his relief and gratitude in words.
These same words have inspired countless Americans since. Through two world wars, countless battles, societal upheaval, and throughout the fight for civil rights, our National Anthem has played as the backdrop to our nation’s history.
It doesn’t differentiate race, gender, or creed. It doesn’t represent one group to the disparagement of another. Rather, it unites every citizen under the symbol of the Republic, and it celebrates
This anthem is a means to bring Americans together to remember the United States’ perseverance in the face of adversity.
That’s its strength and its beauty. And it’s worth remembering.
The Star Spangled Banner
Oh say, can you see
By the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly, streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave
Songwriters: David Martin Frank / Francis Scott Key / John Stafford Smith
© 2025 | All rights reserved.
JN Fenwick is a Florida-based former American history teacher and writer. She is the author/editor of In the Eye of the Storm.
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