Like so many famous songs of yore, "The Star-Spangled Banner" started as a poem, called “The Defence of Fort McHenry.” It was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 during the War of 1812.

Rather than address claims against the song, it would be my pleasure to look at what makes our national anthem so great.

Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment from a ship in Baltimore harbor and expressed his gratitude and relief at the victory in a poem that became "The Star-Spangled Banner." Following the Battle ...

(Courtesy: Smithsonian Institute) The Star Spangled Banner had its beginnings in September of 1814 when Francis Scott Key observed the fight for Fort McHenry, which guarded the entrance to ...

Re “Remove ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ as national anthem ... the British sent a downpour of shells and rockets on Fort McHenry for 25 hours in September 1814. Francis Scott Key was in ...

BALTIMORE – Fort McHenry will celebrate its 100th anniversary ... park and perpetual shrine as the birthplace of the "Star Spangled Banner," referencing the flag that flew over the stronghold ...

Boiled down to its essence, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is a song about ... horror and uncertainty that of the battle to keep Fort McHenry — and thus the City of Baltimore — from falling ...