“And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”
We commemorated September 14, 1814, the day Francis Scott Key penned a poem later set in to music and in 1931 became America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The poem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was originally titled “The Defense of Fort McHenry,” and was written after Key observed the Fort McHenry being bombarded by the British. Key was inspired by the War of 1812 sight of a lone American flag defiantly flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as it is so hailed in our National Anthem.
There is an article that was written by a foreign journalist about the perseverance and persistence of the American people. He wrote that when the tragedy occurred to the nation, we didn’t hide, place blame or run to take out our money from the banks, instead, we became as one, a body of people united to combat aggression. American flags become prevalent and our attention is to gather ourselves up and move forward.
That flag that flew over Fort McHenry is symbolic of our people, not just the fort and may have set the tone for the American spirit.
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