

Also, according to History, the Greek poet Anacreon, to whom the society was dedicated, was a lover of wine. On July 26, 1889, the Secretary of the Navy designated 'The Star Spangled Banner' as the official tune to be played at the raising of the flag. Of course, there's a decent chance that the dinner included plenty of alcoholic drinks, though patrons were apparently more interested in showing off their musical knowledge than getting tipsy in a social setting. During the latter war, songs such as 'Farewell to the Star Spangled Banner' and 'Adieu to the Star Spangled Banner Forever,' clearly referencing Keys song, were published within the Confederacy.

Instead, club meetings were a semi-private, high-class affair that often included concerts and a sit-down dinner. With its four-part harmony and rather long running time, it's unlikely that "The Anacreontic Song" was popular among soused bar patrons. Founded in 1766, the Anacreontic Society was a men's-only social club focused on developing and showing off one's appreciation of classical music. This, in turn, was based on "The Anacreontic Song", the anthem of the British Anacreontic Society. This was where Key witnessed the beginning of the attack on Fort McHenry on September 13, 1814.Īccording to Star Spangled Music, Key probably encountered the melody used for "The Star-Spangled Banner" through a parody song, "Adams and Liberty," written in support of second US president John Adams. Flag to have more than 13 stripes, and it is immortalized in Francis Scott Key's national anthem. Its two additional stars represented the admission of Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792). This flag, known as the Star Spangled Banner, was adopted on May 1, 1795. The Americans were allowed to return to their own ship under the watchful eyes of British soldiers. The fort was helpless against the powerful British attack. The British, realizing that Key and his associates now had knowledge of a planned attack on Baltimore, wouldn't let them go. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Key succeeded, albeit at a temporary cost to his own freedom.

Key ended up in the Chesapeake Bay, just beyond Fort McHenry and Baltimore, because he was negotiating Beanes' release from a British ship anchored there. Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Between their loved homes and the foe's desolation Bless'd with victory and peace, may our Heaven-rescued land.
Story of the star spangled banner song free#
O thus be it ever when free men shall stand. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. William Hill and Philip Weems, were seized in the middle of the night by this force. And the Star-spangled Banner in triumph doth wave. Beanes' posse successfully captured the soldiers and threw them into jail, but one escaped and returned with a larger group. When British troops began raiding American farms in the summer of 1814, Beanes assembled a local militia to retaliate. Beanes was a widely respected landowner and physician in Maryland.
