Star Spangled Banner                                              

In 1814, during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key boarded a British ship to try to obtain the release of his friend, Dr. William Beanes.   Key was detained onboard  the ship, because he overheard the British plans to attack Fort McHenry.  While Francis watched the British bombard the fort, he saw a small American flag flying and wondered if it would be there in the morning.  When morning came, he saw that not a small flag, but a large flag, was flying on the poll! (This was the American way of saying, “We ain’t done with you yet!”)  This is when Francis Scott Key wrote the famous poem, “The Star Spangled Banner”, but at the time he called it “Defense of Fort McHenry”.  Later on, music was added to it, to the tune of a famous British song, and it was printed. (Only two original copies are known left  in the world)  This famous poem was made into the National Anthem in 1931, 116 years after it was written.