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Francis Scott KeyAmerican lawyer and poet
Date of Birth: 01.08.1779
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Francis Scott Key: Lyricist and American Icon
- The War of 1812
- The Birth of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
- Later Life
Francis Scott Key: Lyricist and American Icon
Early Life and EducationFrancis Scott Key was born in 1779 at Terra Rubra plantation in Frederick County, Maryland. He attended St. John's College in Annapolis and later studied law under his uncle, Philip Barton Key.
The War of 1812
During the War of 1812, Key accompanied Colonel John Skinner to meet with the British navy to negotiate the release of Dr. William Beanes, Key's friend. The negotiations were successful, and Skinner, Beanes, and Key were allowed to return to their ship.
However, the truce prevented them from returning to Baltimore, as the negotiators had learned the disposition of British forces and their plan to attack the city. Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore from his ship.
The Birth of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Inspired by the fort's heroic defense, Key penned the poem "Defense of Fort McHenry." A stanza from this poem became the lyrics for the United States national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Later Life
After the war, Key served as the District Attorney for Washington, D.C. He continued to write poetry as an amateur and passed away in 1843 from pleurisy. Key's legacy lives on in the anthem that has become an enduring symbol of American patriotism.
