Yep...204 years young
Key's original penned manuscript
Maryland Historical Society
Copyright © 2018
by Ralph F. Couey
September 14th will slip by this year without much notice, not surprising given the drama in Washington and the landfall of two hurricanes, one in North Carolina and another in Hawai'i. But on that morning in 1814 on board a British warship, an American lawyer, detained by the British, witnessed a heart-stirring sight that inspired the poem that eventually became our National Anthem.
Two years into the War of 1812, British from September 13-14, 1814 conducted a night-long bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor, the prelude to an assault on the Port of Baltimore, and an attack on the city itself. Key and a friend had been detained aboard the British flagship after pleading for the release of an American physician on the strength that he had treated wounded British soldiers and sailors as well as Americans. While aboard, the two Americans were present during the pre-invasion staff conference where they heard the complete plans for the operation, hence the detention.
Rain and fog moved in, but the barrage was conducted despite the lowering weather. As daylight faded, the last thing Key saw was the small "storm flag" stars and stripes fluttering from the converted ship's mast over the fort. All night long, the British cannons thundered away. Estimates of the number of rounds expended run into the thousands. At times, air bursts allowed brief glimpses of that tattered flag still flying, signifying that the vital fort was still in American hands.
As dawn approached, the bombardment tapered off. The smoke from the shelling and the fog began to clear. In that lull, the soldiers defending the fort (miraculously, none were killed) hoisted a huge ceremonial flag. The soft glow of dawn's early light revealed the large flag flying defiantly over the embattled fort. Key was overcome with emotion and penned the inspired poem.
Despite the powerful words and deep meaning conveyed by Key, the "Star Spangled Banner" actually didn't become the official National Anthem of the United States until resolved by Congress in 1931. It was the sixth attempt by Maryland Congressman John Linthicum to establish the anthem. This followed a national petition by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which netted some five million signatures. The U.S. Navy had begun official use of the song in 1899, and was officially recognized by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. Other songs were used to celebrate America, such as "Hail, Columbia," "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (sung to the same tune as the British anthem "God Save the King), and "America the Beautiful." Interestingly, it is the only national anthem in the world that ends with a question.
Most Americans freely admit to participating in the broad-based ignorance of our own country's history. There are many -- way too many -- who believe the anthem was written during the Revolutionary War instead of the War of 1812. Almost none of them will be able to tell you much of anything about that second round against the British between 1812 and 1815. I think this is important because if you don't understand the context of the crisis that birthed the words to the anthem, you can't really understand the song itself.
Most Americans sing those words -- however self-consciously -- at sporting events without any real passion or meaning. There isn't any real ownership of the critical event which occurred during that long night, and what might have happened to our nascent country if the fort, and subsequently the city of Baltimore had fallen. Remember, Washington, the national capitol had already been sacked and burned. If we fully embrace that knowledge and understand the risk of that event, then the song becomes far more meaningful.
The song has not been without controversy. The NAACP has taken the public position that the third verse is racist and celebrates slavery, although nearly all historians agree that those words refer to the British practice of capturing and impressing American seaman on the high seas, and also England's participation in the slave trade. Performances have run the gamut from traditional performances to Jose Feliciano's slow bluesy rendition before the fifth game of the 1968 World Series in Detroit, to Rosanne Barr's disgraceful and embarrassing version in San Diego, and Aretha Franklin's 2016 R&B performance before a Thanksgiving Day NFL game in 2016, that lasted more than four minutes. Of course, everyone remembers the stirring and inspirational Whitney Houston performance during the Gulf War at Super Bowl XXV. Some on the political left dislike the song because, in their view, it celebrates war, instead of peace. Others, in sympathy with our current trend of national self-flagellation, are of the opinion that there is nothing about the United States to celebrate, least of all it's history.
It is an enormously difficult tune to sing for non-professionals, spanning an octave and a half. It's not unusual for singers tasked with the pregame commemoration before sporting events to forget the lyrics. In nearly all those cases, the crowd loudly picked up where the singer left off, a stirring and rare display of national unity.
In late May of 2017, we toured Fort McHenry for the first time. After the tour was complete, we returned to the visitor's center. In an open auditorium, a video was presented, telling the story of the fort and the battle. It is a very effective show, helping the visitor understand just what those soldiers had to endure during the attack. We saw actors representing Key and his colleagues as they anxiously waited out the night, and their joy and pride when seeing the flag still flying in the morning light. Then, a male chorus begins to sing the national anthem. The wall opened up, and there revealed is the tall ship's staff atop of which, floating majestically on the breeze, flies the Stars and Stripes. Spontaneously, the visitors rise and join in. It was for me, a stirring moment, a reminder that even as deeply divided as we are, and so unsure of where our country is headed, we still haven't forgotten from where and from whence we came, and the crucible of the baptism of fire that birthed the United States. At a very basic level, we remember the character of the sacrifice through the years that has sustained America through its short, turbulent history.
Today, it is still our National Anthem. That may change as the shifting winds of the political storm blow across the landscape. I hope that does not happen. I have in my lifetime set foot in 32 other countries and have seen what happens when government does not belong to The People. From that perspective I am convicted of the assertion we need to remember that the freedom we enjoy, and take for granted, has come to us with a cost, paid for with the blood of those "who gave the last full measure of devotion."
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