THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER
In 1813, the commander of Ft. McHenry asked for a flag so big that "the British would have no trouble seeing it from a distance." He asked Mary Young Pickersgill to make the flag for him. Her thirteen year old daughter Caroline helped her. She used 400 yards of fine wool. They cut 15 stars that were two feet across. There were 8 red and 7 white stripes. The stripes were each two feet wide. When it was finished it measured 30 by 42 feet and cost $405.90.
During this time Francis Scott Key was a lawyer in Georgetown, just a few miles from Washington D.C. In 1814, the British captured Washington and set the Capitol on fire. President James Madison and his wife Dolley had to leave the White House and run to a safer place.
After this attack, the Americans feared that Baltimore was next to be attacked. The British captured Francis Scott Key's friend and was holding him hostage aboard a British war ship. His name was William Beanes. He was a doctor. Key and another man set out to try to save Dr. Beanes. They told the British how much Dr. Beanes had helped to save British soldiers who had been wounded. The British agreed to free him, but would not let them leave because the three men had overheard the British making plans to attack Ft. McHenry.
It was from this ship Francis Scott Key watched the bombing of Ft. McHenry. There was a lot of smoke and haze, but when daylight came, he could see the flag was still waving.
He was so inspired that he began to write a poem on the back of a letter he had in his pocket. He later finished and shared the poem with his brother-in-law who took it to a printer and had copies made of it. Two of these copies still survive today.
Newspapers started printing the poem and people began singing it to a familiar British tune that was often sang in pubs. On March 3, 1931, the Star Spangled Banner was adopted as our national anthem.
The flag which flew over Ft. McHenry is now at the Smithsonian in the Museum of American History. It is very fragile and it is kept behind a glass wall in a case that very dimly lit.
Check out more information about our National Anthem by visiting the Smithsonian Star Spangled Banner website.
I visited Washington, D.C. this summer and viewed the Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Check out my photos of my trip by visiting Mrs. P's Washington, D.C. pics.
Check out the videos below of the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier located in Arlington National Cemetary.