National Anthem & American Flag | Lyrics, Song & History – Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

What Is the National Anthem of America?

So, what is the national anthem of the United States? The American national anthem is ”The Star-Spangled Banner.” Written by American poet Francis Scott Key, the song was officially adopted as the American national anthem in 1931. The ”The Star-Spangled Banner” is usually played before sporting events, and often performed by famous musicians at professional sports competitions. The anthem is played at military and political ceremonies as well as commemorative events.

Francis Scott Key and the Star-Spangled Banner

The American national anthem was written by Francis Scott Key. Key was an American lawyer and amateur poet fighting for the United States in the War of 1812. In 1814, he was sent to negotiate with the British for the liberation of an American prisoner. Standing aboard the British ship where the negotiations took place, Key witnessed the day-long attack against Fort McHenry known as the Battle of Baltimore.

According to the story, Key jotted down ”The Defence of Fort McHenry,” a poem inspired by what he saw. The morning following the battle, Key saw the United States flag ”by the dawn’s early light.” The star-spangled banner waved the news of an American victory, telling Key that the American troops had survived the night, which had been riddled with ”bombs bursting in air.” Thus, Francis Scott Key’s ”Star-Spangled Banner” was born.

The American flag was the inspiration for the national anthem.

Star-Spangled Banner Lyrics and Interpretation

The lyrics of ”The Star-Spangled Banner” convey a poetic image of Key’s experience of the Battle of Baltimore. Key never elaborated on the full meaning of the song, but many scholars have offered their interpretations over the years. Scholars have highlighted the line ”our flag was still there” as the climax of the whole song. Indeed, Key did not know that the Americans had won the battle until he saw the flag in the distance. The story goes that Fort McHenry’s commander commissioned an enormous flag to be made so that it could be seen from miles away. In addition, the final line is said to highlight core American values. The phrase ”land of the free” refers to the fight for American independence against the British while ”home of the brave” extols American heroism in defense of the country.

Though the full poem consists of four verses, usually just the first is sung.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,

O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

The American Flag

The national anthem derives its name from the American flag. However, the flag that Key saw was a different version than the flag used today. Indeed, the American flag has undergone many changes over the years as the country has grown and changed. Some historians agree that Congressman Francis Hopkinson made the original design, which was then sewn by Betsy Ross, a seamstress from Philadelphia. This original flag had a circle of 13 white stars on a blue background and 13 red and white stripes. The flag Key saw had 15 stripes for the 15 states of the Union at that time.

Nowadays, the American flag features 13 red and white stripes representing the original colonies and 50 white stars, representing the 50 states. Traditionally, white is understood to symbolize purity, blue represents justice and tenacity, and red denotes toughness and bravery. The flag is sometimes referred to as ”The Star-Spangled Banner,” ”the Stars and Stripes,” and ”Old Glory.”

As with the national anthem, there is a considerable amount of etiquette regarding the use of the American flag. For example, people are expected to put their hand over their heart when the flag is raised, lowered, or paraded by in a ceremony. The flag is supposed to be displayed during the daytime, on holidays, and not during bad weather. The flag is lowered to half-mast to show respect and mourning for national tragedies and the death of important American figures.

The American flag has been present in key moments of United States history. In 1909, the flag was placed at the North Pole by explorer Robert Peary. An American flag was placed on the moon by Neil Armstrong during the lunar landing of 1969.

Neil Armstrong placed the American flag on the moon in 1969.

Popularization of the Star-Spangled Banner

A Baltimore newspaper first published Key’s poem in 1814. Key later arranged the poem as lyrics to a popular British tune about wine drinking and merrymaking called ”The Anacreontic Song. ” This song was written by John Stafford Smith for a London social club and had gained considerable popularity among Americans. Later in 1814, ”The Star-Spangled Banner” was published as a song with Key’s lyrics and Smith’s music. The arrangement eventually caught on across the United States and began to be used in military and ceremonial occasions.

Adoption as National Anthem

”The Star-Spangled Banner” was adopted by Congress as the official United States anthem in 1931. The anthem began to be used in military events, public ceremonies, and baseball games. Since then, its use has expanded to include most sporting events, including all professional sporting events.

A series of federal laws have been instated outlining etiquette for when the national anthem is played. All are expected to stand at attention and face the flag placing their right hand over their heart. Individuals currently or formerly in the armed forces are expected to salute, if in uniform, or remove their hats and place their right hand over their heart, if not in uniform. These are guidelines and individuals who do not observe them are not breaking the law.

The national anthem is played before major sporting events.

Protest and Criticism of the National Anthem

Over the past fifty years, the national anthem has also been used as an opportunity to protest racial injustice in the United States. In 1968, Black American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos protested discrimination against Black Americans when the ”The Star-Spangled Banner” was played at their Olympic medal ceremony. Since 2016, several professional athletes have conducted similar demonstrations. For example, National Football League player Colin Kaepernick and others have routinely kneeled during the anthem in protest of police brutality and racial discrimination against Black Americans.

Francis Scott Key was a deeply racist individual. A slave owner himself, Key referred to Black individuals as being of an inferior race. In his capacity as the Washington, D.C., district attorney in the 1830s, Key helped enforce laws perpetuating slavery and prosecuted abolitionists. This standpoint translated to his work on the national anthem, whose third verse reads, ”No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.” In these lines, Key is disparaging former American slaves who fought for Britain, having been promised freedom and economic opportunities for their loyalty. Some critics consider these racist components to be the reason that the song was not officially adopted for so long after its rise to popularity. In 2020, the statue of Key that formerly stood in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park was pulled down by protesters in the context of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Seeing the anthem as problematic, some have suggested adopting a new national anthem. Options proposed have included traditional patriotic songs such as ”God Bless America” and ”America the Beautiful” as well as more contemporary tunes such as Bill Wither’s ”Lean on Me” and John Lennon’s ”Imagine. ” ”Lift Every Voice and Sing,” is another contender. Written by Black activist and NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson, this secular hymn focuses on the historical experience of Black Americans and is sometimes referred to as the ”Black National Anthem.”

Lesson Summary

A national anthem is a patriotic song that is part of a country’s identity. The national anthem of the United States is ”The Star-Spangled Banner,” a poetic hymn about the American flag flying victoriously. The ”The Star-Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer and amateur poet fighting in the War of 1812. It was during this war that the flag first became a popular symbol of American national pride and identity. Nowadays, the American flag features 13 red and white stripes, representing the original colonies, and 50 white stars, representing the 50 states. In 1931, Key’s work officially became the national anthem of the United States.

Despite its popularity, the national anthem has also been the subject of criticism. Francis Scott Key was himself a slave owner and a proponent of slavery. This attitude comes across in the anthem’s third verse, which disparages former slaves who fought for Britain in exchange for their freedom. Over the past fifty years, famous athletes have used the national anthem as a platform to protest racial injustice in the United States.