O Say Can You See?

On the evening of September 13, 1814, British warships in Baltimore harbor threatened the sovereignty of the United States after already burning Washington, D.C. As they bombarded Fort McHenry, the fate of the new nation was uncertain. Francis Scott Key, an attorney and Frederick County native, watched the battle from behind enemy lines after journeying to the British fleet to negotiate the release of an American prisoner. Through the night and into the early morning, the fighting continued. At dawn, Key saw the largest American flag anyone had ever witnessed, and the emotions he felt at seeing it and knowing that the nation's independence was secure prompted him to write The Star Spangled Banner. In that song, which later became the national anthem, he celebrated American freedom and honored its defenders.

Frederick, Maryland · United States