Who wrote the poem that became the Star-Spangled Banner?

Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that became “The Star-Spangled Banner.” He drafted “Defence of Fort M’Henry” in September 1814 after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.

Key was a Maryland lawyer who had gone aboard a British ship under a flag of truce to help secure the release of an American prisoner. He and his companions were detained while the fleet attacked Baltimore. At dawn on September 14, he saw the large American flag still flying over Fort McHenry and began writing the poem on the back of a letter.

The poem was later set to the melody of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” an English tune associated with John Stafford Smith. The resulting song became increasingly popular before Congress officially adopted it as the U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931. Key wrote the words, but he did not compose the music.