The Star-Spangled Banner Flag has fifteen stars and fifteen stripes as provided for in the second Flag Act approved by Congress on January 13, 1794. The additional stars and stripes represent Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792) joining the Union.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from a poem written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, who wrote the poem, "Defence of Fort McHenry" after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry located at the outer harbor of Baltimore, Maryland, by English Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812.
The poem was set to the tune of the then popular British drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven" written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a London social club. The song, renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner", became a well-known American patriotic song. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is difficult to sing.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 and by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931, which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.
Quick Facts about the Star-Spangled Banner Flag
Made in Baltimore, Maryland, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill.
Commissioned by Major George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry.
Original size: 30 feet by 42 feet - Current size: 30 feet by 34 feet.
Fifteen stars and fifteen stripes (one star has been cut out).
Raised over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, to signal American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore; the sight inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
Preserved by the Armistead family as a memento of the battle. Armistead died on April 25, 1818, from pneumonia while still in command of Fort McHenry and is buried in Old Saint Paul's Cemetery in downtown Baltimore, next to his nephew, Confederate Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead who was mortally wounded during Pickett's ill-fated charge at Gettysburg, PA.
First loaned to the Smithsonian Institution in 1907; converted to permanent gift in 1912 and on exhibit at the National Museum of American History since 1964.
Sources: Here and here.
7 comments:
I always thought that it was written during the Revolutionary War. Thank you for the History lesson!! :)
Great story. I think I knew it was written sometime after the Revolutionary War, but that day of school was a long time ago, lol.
Yes, it is a difficult song to sing, let alone remember the words in the right order. Most people have to practice it, to make sure they start low enough to be keep the upper notes within reach.
I enjoyed reading about the flag and the National Anthem. Very few people can do the song justice. Why was a star cut out?
The Preble Papers were written by Georgiana Armistead Appleton to George Preble (the author of "History of the Flag of the United States of America".) In one of Georgiana's papers, she explains how and why the Star-Spangled Banner was altered by her family. She explains that the fly edge and star were cut away to give as mementos to deserving people.
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long may she wave.
O! 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.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
I am not sure why but we were taught the Star Spangled Banner in Primary School along with the God Save The Queen (our then anthem)
Brings back a memory of being school-age and belonging to the community theatre. The one year, I think I was in jr high at the time, the community theatre did a production of Damn Yankees. Before all 4 performances, they darkened the house and put a spot light on the flag and we all sang the anthem right before the show...
ahh such wonderful memories..
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