Like so many famous songs of yore, "The Star-Spangled Banner" started as a poem, called “The Defence of Fort McHenry.” It was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 during the War of 1812.

One of the first musicians to interpret the “Star Spangled Banner” in a way that displayed a Black consciousness was the ...

The original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song that would become our national anthem, is among the most treasured artifacts in the Smithsonian's ...

But it may come as a surprise to some that the tune of The Star-Spangled Banner was written ... anthem were taken from a poem written by Francis Scott Key - a lawyer and slave owner - during ...