Francis Scott Key
Civilian — lawyer and amateur poet
"O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
Biography
Francis Scott Key was a Georgetown lawyer and amateur poet who found himself at the center of the war's most iconic moment through sheer circumstance. In September 1814, he boarded the British flagship HMS Tonnant to negotiate the release of his friend Dr. William Beanes, who had been arrested by the British after the burning of Washington. Key succeeded in securing Beanes's release, but the British detained both men aboard a truce vessel to prevent them from reporting on the planned attack on Baltimore. Through the night of September 13–14, Key watched the massive British bombardment of Fort McHenry from a distance of eight miles. When dawn revealed the American flag still flying, the emotional sight moved him to scrawl a poem on the back of a letter. Published as 'Defence of Fort M'Henry,' it was set to a popular British drinking tune and became an American anthem — officially adopted as the national anthem in 1931.
Did you know?
Key was a slaveholder who later prosecuted abolitionists — a deeply ironic contrast with the anthem's lyrics about 'the land of the free.' The rarely sung third verse even contains lines mocking runaway slaves who fought with the British in exchange for freedom.
Key Battles
Battle of Fort McHenry
United States victorySeptember 13–14, 1814 · 378 total casualties
Fort McHenry's successful defense saved Baltimore and shattered British momentum in the Chesapeake. The battle inspired one of the most famous poems in American history, which was eventually set to music and adopted as the national anthem in 1931. The image of the flag still flying became an enduring symbol of American defiance.
Life Journey
Timeline
August 1, 1779
🌅 Birth
Born at Terra Rubra farm, Frederick County, Maryland
1800s
career
Established law practice in Georgetown, D.C.
September 13–14, 1814
event
Watched bombardment of Fort McHenry; wrote 'Defence of Fort M'Henry'
January 11, 1843
✝️ Death
Died in Baltimore, Maryland