The Star-Spangled Banner

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

What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight

O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?

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

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

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

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep

Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,

’Tis the star-spangled banner - O long may it wave

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

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,

That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion

A home and a Country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

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

The Star-Spangled Banner - A Flag and A Song Star-Spangled BAnner National Historic Trail DC, MD, VA Sep 6, 2020 "Then, in that hour of deliverance, and joyful triumph, the heart spoke; and, Does not such a country, and such defenders of their country, deserve a song?” --Francis Scott Key, 1836

The Star-Spangled Banner

• https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner June 2, 2014 "On September 14, 1814, U.S. soldiers at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry raised a huge American flag to celebrate a crucial victory over British forces during the War of 1812. The sight of those “broad stripes and bright stars” inspired Francis Scott Key to write a song that eventually became the United States national anthem."

7 things you didn't know about the Star-Spangled Banner Victoria Altman

• https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2014/06/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-star-spangled-banner.html June 2, 2014 "The Star-Spangled Banner has a sibling, and we have no idea where it is. There were more than 15 states when the flag was made, but there are only 15 stars on the flag. The same family that kept the Star-Spangled Banner safe during the Civil War also sympathized with the Confederacy. After coming to the Smithsonian, the Star-Spangled Banner has only left the National Mall once. The Star-Spangled Banner flag is on display at the National Museum of American History. And it's never leaving. The museum removed 1.7 million stitches (a previous preservation attempt) from the Star-Spangled Banner. During the Civil War, the Union flag continued to include a star for each state in the Union—even those states that had seceded."

The Star-Spangled Banner Lyrics

• https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/the-lyrics.aspx June 2, 2014 "Francis Scott Key was a gifted amateur poet. Inspired by the sight of the American flag flying over Fort McHenry the morning after the bombardment, he scribbled the initial verse of his song on the back of a letter. Back in Baltimore, he completed the four verses https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/pdf/ssb_lyrics.pdf (PDF) and copied them onto a sheet of paper, probably making more than one copy."

"The Star-Spangled Banner"—Original 1814 Version (High Definition) 5:26

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvVtFD9Na0I Jan 13, 2013 Recording available in the CD Poets & Patriots, see https://starspangledmusic.org/poets-patriots-recording-project Published on Jan 5, 2013 A performance of the first 1814 edition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as arranged by Thomas Carr in what may be the world premiere recording incorporating historically informed performance practice. See https://osaycanyouhear.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/a-world-premiere-recording-of-the-star-spangled-banner for a discussion of this version. Soloist: Justin Berkowitz Chorus: George Case, Mark Clague, Stephen Gusukuma, Jaclyn Johnson, Tim Keeler, Paige Lucas, Kate Nadolny, Nicholas Nestorak, Nathan Reiff, Kate Rosen, Katherine Sanford, and Scott Walters Conducted by Jerry Blackstone Scott Van Oruum, fortepiano Music edited by Mark Clague Session produced by Andrew Kuster Audio and video engineering and production by David Schall Rec. September 16, 2012 in Stamps Auditorium University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance © 2013 by Mark Clague claguem@umich.edu starspangledmusic

The Story of The Star Spangled Banner 1:31

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQn7ZNebu8g Oct 31, 2018 One of the cultural landmarks to emerge from the War of 1812 was the penning of the Star Spangled Banner by 35-year-old Washington, DC attorney and journeyman poet Francis Scott Key. Key wrote the words to a poem he originally called, “The Defense of Fort McHenry” after watching the British naval bombardment of the Baltimore stronghold on the evening of September 13 -14, 1814. For more information, visit https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/star-spangled-banner All about the War of 1812 American Battlefield Trust

The Defense of Fort McHenry 1:38

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3-6zugC2Ug Jun 12, 2012 Do you know how our National Anthem came to be? We have a raging battle, a young poet and Maryland to thank.

105 Voices of History and the U.S. Navy Band's “The Star-Spangled Banner” 2:02

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEWnz9evHGU Mar 4, 2021 To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the adoption of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as our national anthem, the U.S. Navy Band joined forces with 105 Voices of History, CDC, the only national choir for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities for a new recording of our national anthem. Welcome to the U.S. Navy's YouTube Channel sponsored by the Navy Office of Information. www.navy.mil | U.S. Navy

The Battle of Fort McHenry, through Francis Scott Key's Eyes 3:30

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiVryYnzmdI May 30, 2014 When the British army held Francis Scott Key captive aboard one of their warships during the Battle of Baltimore, they could never have guessed his stay would inspire their enemy's most-patriotic song.

Fort McHenry Visitor Center Film 10:13

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvaGqYG7t8Q Jan 26, 2021 Learn about the history of Fort McHenry and the writing of the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

Fort McHenry Visitor Center Film 10:13

• https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=755C3CDA-C38B-5253-C59553ED610CDAB4 Learn about the history of Fort McHenry and the writing of the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The Star Spangled Banner | Our National Anthem performed where it was written 1:58

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIODUFpatkQ Sep 14, 2020 The U.S. Army Field Band performs the Star Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry for Defenders Day. Defenders Day commemorates the defense of Baltimore from September 12th through September 14th during the War of 1812. The events inspired Francis Scott Key to write the now famous words of the Star Spangled Banner, which became our National Anthem in 1931. Enjoy this beautiful rendition performed "O'er the ramparts."

Raise It Up! Anthem for America: A brief history of the Star Spangled Banner 3:24

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpJPiU4KJ-A Nov 25, 2014 On June 14, 2014, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History asked the entire nation to join in a very special singalong in honor of the 200th anniversary of "The Star-Spangled Banner" song. Thanks for joining us to #raiseitup!

Aloe Blacc performs "The Star-Spangled Banner" 2:21

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg1cb_ftw1c Jun 12, 2014 Aloe Blacc, known for his songs "The Man" and "I Need a Dollar," performs a special version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in honor of the song's 200th anniversary. The museum will "Raise It Up!" and celebrate the 200th anniversary by uniting the original manuscript with the flag at the Museum from June 14-July 6, 2014 and holding a special event at the museum on Flag Day (Saturday, June 14, 2014). Join the party: http://anthemforamerica.smithsonian.com/​ Special thanks to the team at The Martin Agency: Mike Lear, Drew Neuhart, Neil Davis, Katherine Leatherwood, Chris Thompson, Sam Tucker, Ben Roberts and sound by In Your Ear. National Museum of American History

This Fact About the National Anthem Will Surprise You 2:45

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q5p8MH-E3E Dec 11, 2014 Not only is the Star-Spangled Banner extremely musically challenging, but a shockingly low number of Americans actually know its lyrics or what they mean.

Josh Turner performs "The Star-Spangled Banner" 1:49

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3_jDF7-u-U Jun 11, 2014 Grammy-nominated country music singer Josh Turner performs a special version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in honor of the song's 200th anniversary.

National Anthem of the USA: The Star-Spangled Banner 1:53

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmCjfR2VgpU Jul 4, 2018 "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the then 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large U.S. flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the U.S. victory.

• The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a men's social club in London. "To Anacreon in Heaven" (or "The Anacreontic Song"), with various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. Set to Key's poem and renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner", it soon became a well-known U.S. patriotic song. With a range of 19 semitones, it is known for being very difficult to sing. Although the poem has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today.

• "The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the United States Navy in 1889, and by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931, which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.

• Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of U.S. officialdom. "Hail, Columbia" served this purpose at official functions for most of the 19th century. "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", whose melody is identical to "God Save the Queen", the United Kingdom's national anthem, also served as a de facto national anthem. Following the War of 1812 and subsequent U.S. wars, other songs emerged to compete for popularity at public events, among them "America the Beautiful". Duke of Canada

Star Spangled Banner with Lyrics, Vocals, and Beautiful Photos 1:27

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPKp29Luryc Sep 27, 2010 This video of part of the Musicplay  Digital Resources Grades 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.  Each song in the Musicplay curriculum has a quicktime music video in addition to the included PowerPoint and Smart Notebook file.  Visit www.musicplay.ca for information on the Musicplay PowerPoints (Digital Resources).

Angie Johnson performs "The Star-Spangled Banner" 1:43

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy-zpXww2_s Jun 2, 2014 U.S. Air National Guard Tech Sergeant Angie Johnson performs a special version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in honor of the song's 200th anniversary.

Valerie June performs "The Star-Spangled Banner" 1:39

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X27DJ2LCbQM Jun 2, 2014 Singer-songwriter Valerie June performs a special version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in honor of the song's 200th anniversary.

Founding Fragments - Star-Spangled Souvenirs 4:28

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5zfFDT-pNo Oct 30, 2013 The giant Star-Spangled Banner flag is one of our most popular artifacts, and a centerpiece of the Museum. Why then are pieces of it kept locked away in storage? Host Tory Altman talks with textile conservator Suzanne Thomassen-Krauss to find out.

Josh Turner talks about singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" 2:13

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwC3L5KboHU Jun 11, 2014 Grammy-nominated country music singer Josh Turner talks about what singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" means to him.

Broad Stripes and Bright Stars 11:02

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-qcpROHI3Y Jan 21, 2011 This theater presentation was performed at the National Museum of American History, where the flag that inspired the National Anthem is on display. The year is 1813. Mary Young Pickersgill (a historical figure with a fictional monologue) is working on a garrison flag to fly over Baltimore's Fort McHenry.  She speaks about the War of  1812, the process of creating a giant flag, and thoughts about the meaning of the flag.