Francis Scott Key

Francis Scott Key. He was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Frederick County, Maryland, who is best known for writing the lyrics of the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". His poem, originally titled "Defence of Fort M'Henry", was inspired by witnessing the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Key's legal career and personal life were deeply intertwined with the political and social fabric of early 19th-century America.

Early life and education

He was born on his family's plantation, Terra Rubra, in the western part of Frederick County, Maryland. His parents were Ann Phoebe Penn Dagworthy and Captain John Ross Key, a commissioned officer in the Continental Army and a lawyer. He received his early education at home before being sent to Annapolis to study at St. John's College. At St. John's, he studied under the Reverend John McDowell, graduating in 1796. He then read law in Annapolis under the tutelage of his uncle, the prominent attorney Philip Barton Key, who had served as a Loyalist officer in the Revolutionary War but later became a United States Congressman.

Legal career and family

After being admitted to the bar in 1801, he began his legal practice in Frederick, Maryland. He soon moved his practice to Georgetown, then a separate municipality from Washington, D.C., where he became a respected attorney. In 1802, he married Mary Tayloe Lloyd, the daughter of a wealthy Maryland planter, and they eventually had eleven children. He served for many years as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, appointed by President Andrew Jackson. His legal work often involved cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, and he was a close friend and advisor to President Andrew Jackson. He was also a devout Episcopalian and helped found several institutions, including the American Sunday School Union.

"The Star-Spangled Banner"

During the War of 1812, he was dispatched to the British fleet aboard HMS Tonnant to negotiate the release of his friend, the elderly physician William Beanes, who had been captured after the Battle of Bladensburg. He successfully secured Beanes's release but was detained aboard a British ship during the subsequent Battle of Baltimore. From his vantage point, he witnessed the Royal Navy's bombardment of Fort McHenry on September 13–14, 1814. At dawn, seeing the large American garrison flag still flying over the fort, he was inspired to write a poem on the back of a letter. The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song, "To Anacreon in Heaven", and was soon published in Baltimore newspapers under the title "Defence of Fort M'Henry". It quickly gained national popularity as "The Star-Spangled Banner".

Later life and death

Following the war, he continued his successful legal career in Washington, D.C., and remained active in religious and civic affairs. He was a founding member of the American Colonization Society, which advocated for the resettlement of freed African Americans to Africa, leading to the founding of Liberia. He argued several notable cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, including some related to the institution of slavery. In January 1843, while visiting his daughter in Baltimore, he died of pleurisy at the home of his friend, John Howard Payne. He was initially buried in Baltimore at Saint Paul's Cemetery, but his remains were later moved to Frederick, Maryland.

Legacy and honors

His poem was officially designated as the national anthem of the United States by a congressional resolution signed by President Herbert Hoover in 1931. Numerous monuments commemorate him, including the Francis Scott Key Monument in Baltimore and a memorial in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Washington, D.C., and the bridge of the same name in Baltimore, are named in his honor. His former home in Georgetown is preserved as the Francis Scott Key Park. His likeness has appeared on U.S. postage stamps, and his original manuscript is held by the Maryland Historical Society. The United States Navy has named multiple vessels USS *Francis Scott Key*.

Category:American lawyers Category:American poets Category:People from Frederick County, Maryland