STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1939, Page 14

STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

STORY OF ITS INSPIRATION The United States of America, with its "isolation” policy is one of the most discussed countries in the world. There are many inspiring episodes in the history of the United States and the way they gained their national anthem is such a one.

e ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ Amere ica’s anthem, was composed and writs ten. by Francis Key during tne War f of Independense in 1812. 1 Key set out from Baltimore in an t attempt to secure the release of a 1 friend who had been captured by the British. His flag of truce took him to t British forces, but he was not allowed 1 to return to his side until after an • attack had been made on Fort M’Henry. Fearing that he would warn the •Americans of the coming attack, . the British detained him on the flag-

t shin of Admiral Cockburn. f From there Key saw the attack I launched against his fellow country- > men. The British boasted that their > onslaught would meet with quick suc- , cess and that he would soon see the - American flag hauled down. i Key watched with that intense - anxiety which is only known to those I 'who are forced to take an inactive i part in something which concerns > them closely. His gaze was fixed on ■ the flag. Every moment he expected to 1 see it flutter to the ground, a sign that the British attack had succeeded. But when darkness fell, it still flew defiantly. Through the night the British at--1 tack was pressed harder. Key could hear the sounds of strife, but now he could no longer see the flag. He passed a night of misery, wondering what had become of that symbol of American freedom. At last the dawn came, and to Key’s great relief the flag still waved proudly in the breeze. The sight inspired him to write the song which was to become his country’s National Anthem.