National Anthem

The national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” is a patriotic musical composition that serves as the official national song of the United States of America. Originally written by Maryland attorney and amateur poet Francis Scott Key during the British bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry in 1814, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was first enshrined as the American national anthem in 1931. By that point, it already had a long history as of one the nation’s most popular patriotic hymns alongside other songs like “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful.” In the modern era, “The Star-Spangled Banner” is most frequently heard at sporting events, where it is often performed before play begins. In the late 2010s, the national anthem became a subject of controversy when numerous National Football League (NFL) players and other athletes starting kneeling during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a way of protesting racial injustice and police brutality.

Background

The origins of “The Star-Spangled Banner” are tied directly to the War of 1812. As the young United States struggled to establish itself as an independent national entity in the early nineteenth century, the still-reeling British government sought to undermine its former colonies by interfering with American trade, blocking westward expansion, and impressing American sailors into the Royal Navy. All of this eventually forced the United States to once again declare war on Great Britain in 1812. The ensuing conflict, which became known as the War of 1812, initially went well for American forces. At the time, the British were already engaged in a war with France that tied up most of their military resources. This allowed the United States to win a few key victories in the early stages of the war. When the British finally defeated the French in April 1814, however, they were able to turn their full attention to the American conflict. In August 1814, British forces launched an invasion of Washington, D.C. that left the American capital in tatters. At that point, the British shifted their focus to the nearby port city of Baltimore, Maryland.

When British forces commenced a roughly 25-hour bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry on the morning of September 13, the United States appeared to be on the verge of a devastating defeat. In an unlikely turn of events, the American contingent at Fort McHenry survived the bombardment and defiantly raised a large American flag as the smoke cleared the following morning. The events at Fort McHenry marked a major turning point in the War of 1812 that ultimately led to America’s victory. Just as unexpectedly, the bombardment of Fort McHenry also led to the birth of what was to become the American national anthem. As it happened, a Maryland attorney and amateur poet named Francis Scott Key was on a ship moored in Baltimore Harbor to negotiate the release of an American civilian when the bombardment began. Upon seeing the American flag being raised at Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, Key was inspired to write the first verse of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on the back on an envelope. Although he later wrote three other verses as well, it was the initial verse of Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner” that eventually became the American national anthem.

Overview

Once released to the public, Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner” quickly became one of the most popular patriotic songs in nineteenth-century America. Much of this early popularity arose from Key’s decision to write his lyrics to the tune of “To Anacreon in Heaven.” Composed around 1775, “To Anacreon in Heaven” was an already-popular ode to the ancient Greek poet and wine aficionado Anacreon. Thanks in part to its borrowed melody, “The Star-Spangled Banner” quickly found a place amongst other patriotic hymns like “Yankee Doodle” and “Hail Columbia.” What ultimately separated “The Star-Spangled Banner” from these other songs were its references to the American flag. As the flag gradually morphed into one of the most important symbols of American national unity, the “Star-Spangled Banner” was increasingly viewed as a poignant, reverent homage to the stars and stripes. In the late nineteenth century, the U.S. military began using “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a ceremonial song to be played when the flag was raised or lowered. Although President Woodrow Wilson issued an executive order that recognized “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem of the United States in 1916, it was not until Congress passed a bill to that end in 1931 that Key’s song officially became the national anthem.

The move to designate “The Star-Bangled Banner” as the national anthem was not without its detractors. Critics objected to the song’s selection for various reasons. Many pacifists thought “The Star-Spangled Banner” was a poor choice for a national anthem because of its violent themes and depictions of war. Ardent nationalists argued against the song because of the British origins of its melody. Similarly, supporters of the increasingly powerful temperance movement disliked “The Star-Spangled Banner” because of the history of “To Anacreon in Heaven” as a drinking song. On a more basic level, many musicians and other musical experts felt that “The Star-Spangled Banner” was simply too difficult to sing. Despite this criticism and repeated attempts to replace it, “The Star-Spangled Banner” remained the United States’ permanent national anthem.

Although it is performed under many circumstances, the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is often associated with sporting events. While this practice can be traced back as far as the 1860s, it did not gain widespread popularity until the anthem was played during the 1918 World Series. With that historic performance, the national anthem became a regular fixture at baseball games and other sporting events. Performances of the anthem at such events by celebrated recording artists like Whitney Houston and Marvin Gaye are among the most well-known renditions of the song. That being said, the association of the national anthem with sporting events has occasionally been a source of controversy. This was a particular concern in the late 2010s after a number of NFL players began kneeling during the playing of the national anthem as a way of protesting against racial injustice and police brutality. While the protests were reportedly not meant to be disrespectful towards the anthem, the flag, or veterans, many people objected to the players’ actions.

Bibliography

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Goldman, Ted. “How Sports Met ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’” NPR, 6 Sep. 2018, www.npr.org/2018/09/06/644991357/how-sports-met-the-star-spangled-banner. Accessed 15 Feb. 2019.

Hollandbeck, Andy. “8 Things You Don’t Know about ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’” Saturday Evening Post, 3 July 2018, www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2018/07/8-things-dont-know-star-spangled-banner. Accessed 15 Feb. 2019.

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