the meaning of the star spangled banner song

In 1929, the popular newspaper cartoon series “Ripley’s Believe or Not!” noted that the country had no national anthem. The US Navy made it an official part of its flag ceremonies in 1889, and President Woodrow Wilson ordered it to be played for military ceremonies during World War I. During the Civil War, bands played it regularly.

Key’s new lyrics to a popular tune of the day gained instant popularity in the days after the Battle for Baltimore, but it didn’t become the official national anthem for more than 100 years. Francis Scott Key was inspired to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” after watching Fort McHenry survive the British bombardment. The War of 1812 also produced the national anthem of the United States of America.

Visitors learn the flag’s story through exhibits and ranger-led programs.

In the summer of 1813, Armistead commissioned Mary Pickersgill, a second-generation flag maker, to make an “American ensign 30 by 42 feet” of “first quality bunting.” When Fort McHenry held off the British navy during the Battle for Baltimore in September 1814, Pickersgill’s flag was hoisted in a triumph over the fort.Īfter a long journey from family keepsake to national treasure, Fort McHenry’s flag found a home at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.Īn American flag flies over Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, a reminder of the iconic flag that inspired the words to what became the national anthem of the United States of America. “That is to say, we are ready except that we have no suitable ensign to display over the Star Fort and it is my desire to have a flag so large that the British will have no difficulty seeing it from a distance.” “We, sir, are ready at Fort McHenry to defend Baltimore against invading by the enemy,” he said to American General Samuel Smith, who commanded all forces in and around the city. Major George Armistead wanted to show the British that Fort McHenry was ready to fight. After the war, the flag was often displayed as a symbol of national pride and unity. But the flag’s appearance over Fort McHenry during the Battle for Baltimore and Francis Scott Key’s poem “The Star-Spangled Banner” inspired the public. Before the war, Americans rarely used the flag to express patriotism. The War of 1812 elevated the American flag to icon status. Courtesy Smithsonian Institution The Flag In the 19th century, pieces of the banner were cut and given as souvenirs. Several feet of the flag’s fly end and one star are missing. The original Star-Spangled Banner is on view at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

The meaning of the star spangled banner song