While there, he became privy to strategic battle plans and was held captive for the night, where he helplessly witnessed the Battle Of Baltimore.

Moreover, they noted that the old British drinking song - with its challenging range of 19 semitones - to which Key’s words were attached remained ill-suited to the vocal range of many Americans.The War Of 1812 was in its final months when lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key boarded a British ship to negotiate the release of several American prisoners. Detractors claimed that Linthicum, whose district encompassed parts of Baltimore, was eager to promote the city’s history more than he was in furthering patriotism.

asking that the bill be enacted into law.”Īlthough the House approved the bill on April 21, 1930, the measure drew its share of critics. Also included in his submission were “letters and telegrams from 25 governors. Linthicum also submitted to the panel a petition of support with more than 5 million individual signatures, accompanied by resolutions and sympathetic letters from 150 organizations. “This country needs a national song to give expression to its patriotism,” he said. Linthicum urged his colleagues to attend the session. It took nearly a year for Linthicum to secure a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, which claimed jurisdictional authority over the measure. Key was inspired by the large American flag, the Star-Spangled Banner, flying above the fort before the American victory. Key (1779-1843) was a 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet who had witnessed the bombardment of the fort by ships of the British Royal Navy during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.

The star the star spangled banner song