SONG

The Star-Spangled Banner

by Francis Scott Key Illustration of wheat in bloom
O! say, can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming;
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming;
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say, does the star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
This is the original flag seen by Francis scott Key flying over Fort McHenry, in Maryland.

This is the original flag seen by Francis scott Key flying over Fort McHenry, in Maryland.

In Other Words

  • hail’d saw

  • perilous dangerous

  • O’er the ramparts we watched The stars and stripes waving over the fort

Historical Background

The British attacked Fort McHenry on September 13, 1814. The next morning, Francis Scott Key saw that the flag was still flying above the fort. This inspired him to write “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the national anthem, or song of the U.S.

Before You Move On

  • 1. Conclusion What symbols does the flag represent?

  • 2. Judgment In what ways is the flag a good representation of the United States?