U.S. Government > The National Anthem
Introduction | The Constitution | The Executive Branch
The Legislative Branch | The Judicial Branch | State Government | Local Government
Political Parties | Elections | The Nation's Capital | The Flag | The National Anthem
The Great Seal | The Pledge of Allegiance
· Biography of Francis Scott Key
· Fort McHenry: Birthplace of the National Anthem
· Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
· The Star-Spangled Banner
· The Star-Spangled Banner. The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem (Smithsonian)
· The Star-Spangled Banner and the War 0f 1812 (Smithsonian)
· Today in History: September 13 - Star-Spangled Banner (Library of Congress)
· US Anthem - Die amerikanische Nationalhymne (magazinUSA) Deutsch
· Celebrating America's Freedom: The Star Spangled Banner (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) CD
· Patriotic Melodies: The Star-Spangled Banner (Library of Congress)
· The Score for "The Star-Spangled Banner" (Music Education Magic)
· Star-Spangled Banner (Library of Congress)
· U.S. National Anthem (U.S. Embassy Schweden) CD
"Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight'
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming."
During the night of September 13, 1814, the British fleet bombarded Fort McHenry in the harbor at Baltimore, Maryland. Francis Scott Key, a 34-year old lawyer-poet, watched the attack from a deck of a British prisoner-exchange ship. He had gone to seek the release of a friend but they were refused permission to go ashore until after the attack had been made. As the battle ceased on the following morning, Key turned his telescope to the fort and saw the American flag was still waving. The sight so inspired him that he pulled a letter from his pocket and began to write the poem which eventually was adopted as the national anthem of the United States - "The Star Spangled Banner."
Exhibits - Digital Images
· Baltimore: A National Register of Historic Places: Flag House
· Fort McHenry National Monumentand Historic Shrine
· National Park Service: Fort McHenry
· The Flag House and Star-Spangled banner Museum, Baltimore, MD
For High School StudentsTeacher Resources
· Ben's Guide to The Star-Spangled Banner
· Fort Mc Henry National Monument and Historic Shrine - Teacher's Guide
· Oh, Say, Can You See What the Star-Spangled Banner Means? (EDSITEment)
· Yahoo! > National Symbols and Songs > U.S. National Anthem
Texts are abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials. What kind of information materials are available?
CD: These documents are available in fulltext format on the About the USA CD-ROM. Teachers: Request a copy for classroom use.
L: Selected documents are available in German as well as other languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Persian and Turkish.
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U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany /Public Affairs/ Information Resource Centers
Updated: February 2009