Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics that became the U.S. national anthem, a patriotic work connected with America250.
Key wrote the poem later known as “The Star-Spangled Banner” in September 1814, after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. He saw the large American flag still flying over the fort after the attack and began composing verses inspired by the sight.
The poem was originally published as “Defence of Fort M'Henry.” Its lyrics were later fitted to the melody of “The Anacreontic Song,” a British tune composed by John Stafford Smith. The melody was already familiar in the United States, which helped the song spread.
The song became the official U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931, when Congress passed a joint resolution and President Herbert Hoover signed it. The anthem officially contains four stanzas, although public performances usually sing only the first. Key’s original poem and the national anthem are therefore related but not identical in common usage.