subject: As The Star Spangled Banner Waves; Appointing The National Anthem [print this page] "The Star Spangled Banner" was written by American poet Francis Scott Key after the Battle of Baltimore in 1812. This inspirational song caught the hearts of millions of patriots before it was declared as the American national anthem more than a century later.
Originally from Maryland, Washington lawyer Francis Scott Key once believed that the war with Britain could be solved with more diplomatic means. On September 3, 1814, President Madison appointed him and prisoner-exchange agent John Stuart Skinner to negotiate the release of American prisoners. They boarded the British flagship Tonnant and were obliged to wait out the outcome of the battle as Fort McHenry at Baltimore was bombarded. It was not until the break of dawn when he saw an enormous flag still flew defiantly inside the fort.
Inspired by this victory, the young lawyer and poet composed a poem to recount his experiences and the relief in seeing the flag still waving. He entitled the poem "Defense of Fort McHenry" and was printed on the Baltimore Patriot and The American. The poem was then sung to the tune of a popular drinking song called "Anacreon in Heaven".
When the sheet music was published, the title was changed to "The Star Spangled Banner". It gained popularity shortly afterward and was frequently played during public events such as 4th of July celebrations. It was first performed in public by Baltimore actor Ferdinand Durang at Captain McCauley's tavern.
"The Star Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 after General Order number 374 was signed by Benjamin F. Tracy. It then became the official tune played as the flag was being raised. In 1916, it was ordered to be played during military and other occasions by President Woodrow Wilson.
Before being the officially national anthem, other songs such as "Hail Columbia" and "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" served as hymns of American officialdom. It was only on March 3, 1931 when the song was adopted as the official national anthem. It was finally approved by act of Congress and was proclaimed by President Herbert Hoover.
Even after the proclamation in 1931 when the "The Star Spangled Banner" was adopted, several critics still argued that the lengthy lyrics of the song contained feelings of hatred and violence and was difficult to sing. Some even say that "America the Beautiful" was a more suitable candidate. Today, only the first stanza of song is commonly sung, with the forth stanza added on more formal occasions.
