For some, we like to recall that rainy morning in September of 1814 and feel proud to be from a country that never gives up. Today, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the Statue of Liberty, and the American flag are all some of the greatest symbols of American patriotism.Īlthough the song resonates differently depending on the person, it is a great reminder to keep on hoping. Americans now viewed the song as a frontline symbol of national unity. What Does the National Anthem Mean To Americans?Īlthough it took a little while to gain significant traction, Francis Scott Key’s anthem received immense popularity following the Civil War. President Woodrow Wilson officially adopted “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the de facto song of the nation in 1916. However, his brother-in-law turned the poem into music and published it under the title we know today. Scott Key originally constructed what he saw as a poem titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” which became published in The Baltimore Patriot later that week. Its appearance over Fort McHenry inspired the people of the United States, and it became an icon for national pride and unity. Prior to The War of 1812, the American flag did not hold the same symbolism it does today. This action symbolized the persistence of the American people and inspired the lyrics of the song we know today as Scott Key witnessed the event in real-time. After the American troops fended off these advances, General Lewis Armistead raised a massive United States flag in the early morning. The British tried sending land troops to attack the fort after being blocked from advancing via the harbor because of the blockade of sunken ships. It was said that there was a cloud of smoke illuminating the entire harbor with the rocket’s glare. They launched mortars and rockets for nearly a full day and night. With vast numbers of American troops retreating to Baltimore at the time, the British decided to attack Fort McHenry. This specific doctor had refused to give British troops food and water when they stumbled across his house and was scheduled to be executed at a later date.Īfter completing these discussions, the two men were stranded in the harbor due to their presumed allegiance to the American forces and their knowledge of The Crown’s plans to attack the city of Baltimore in the very near future. These two men had traveled into the Baltimore harbor with plans to meet with the British Vice Admiral George Cockburn and discuss the possible release of an American doctor. In the harbor at the same time were two Americans: British Prisoner Exchange Agent Colonel John Stuart Skinner and a Georgetown lawyer by the name of Francis Scott Key. It would be devastating news for the Americans to lose two coastal cities to the British. by The Redcoats a month earlier than this day, Baltimore city was viewed as the last line of defense. This harbor was a heavily protected and last line of defense for the city of Baltimore.ĭue to the recent capture of Washington, D.C. However, you might be curious about how this rendition came to be.ĭuring the War of 1812, on the morning of September 13, 1814, British naval ships began firing upon Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor. If you’re reading this as an American citizen, you’re supposed to know the lyrics to our country’s national anthem. In the United States today, it still holds prominent meaning and tradition when it’s sung before every NFL game before the iconic military jet “flyover.”Įven if you live in America and have sung this rendition before, you might be wondering why you stand during its playing.įind out the answer to that question below! “The Star-Spangled Banner” is one of the most famously written national anthems in the world.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |