The Star Spangled Banner
A Brief History Of The American National Anthem
On September 13, 1814 a poem titled “Defense of Fort M'Henry” was penned by poet Francis Scott Key. The poem was based on events he witnessed while observing the battle for Fort McHenry near Baltimore, Maryland. Years later this poem was set to the music of John Stafford Smith’s song “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The irony in this progression is that the resultant “Star Spangled Banner,” a symbol of the United States’ national spirit and independence, was set to drinking song written by a British composer.
The Star Spangled Banner slowly spread throughout the United States, gaining acceptance by citizens and the military alike until finally, in 1931 President Hoover declared the song to be the official national anthem of the United States. Here are some other interesting facts about the Star Spangled Banner:
First Public Performance: October, 1814 in Baltimore at Captain McCauley’s Tavern.
First Public Printing: September 17, 1814 in a leaflet published in Baltimore, only two original copies survive to this day.
First Performance at a Sporting Event: Baseball Opening Day in Philadelphia, 1897
Number of Verses In The Original Song:
There are four complete verses to the Star Spangled Banner, the first of which is the only one commonly sung in public.
What Influenced The United States Finally Accept the Star Spangled Banner as our National Anthem?
A cartoon published by Robert Ripley (writer of the famed Ripley’s Believe It Or Not series) pointed out the fact that our country had no official National Anthem. Soon after this publication the idea took root and was expanded upon by other notable Americans including John Philip Sousa. Two years later in 1931, Herbert Hoover signed the Star Spangled Banner into law as the National Anthem of The United States of America.
Current Events Surrounding the Star Spangled Banner:
In 2004 a poll showed that an alarming percentage of people in the United States did not know the words to the Star Spangled Banner. As a result of this study the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC) initiated the National Anthem Project to rekindle interest and knowledge about the song.
What are the words and music to the Star Spangled Banner?
The words and music to our national anthem are available separately in many places on the Internet. However both are available in sheet music form as a free download from the web site Music Education Magic.
