For America250, who wrote the 1814 poem that became the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem?

Francis Scott Key wrote the 1814 poem that became the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem.

Key composed the poem after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. At dawn on September 14, 1814, he saw the large American flag still flying above the fort and began writing verses inspired by the sight.

The poem was first printed as “Defence of Fort M'Henry.” It was soon published under the title “The Star-Spangled Banner,” using the melody of a popular British song by John Stafford Smith.

Key wrote the words, but Smith composed the music. That distinction is a common source of confusion. Congress made the song the official U.S. national anthem in 1931, more than a century after Key wrote the poem.