


Find high-quality stock photos that you wont find anywhere else. flag, the Declaration of Independence, the Liberty Bell, and (most recently) The Bible in American Law and Politics. Both print and e-book versions of the book are available for purchase through the publisher, through, and on other online sites. Search from Star Spangled Banner Song stock photos, pictures and royalty-free images from iStock. The book is a followup to earlier volumes by Vile on the U.S. They cover all aspects of the anthem, including laws, customs, and regulations surrounding it, musical precursors and rivals, parodies, artistic depictions, popular cultural references, key phrases within the anthem, notable performances of the song, and individuals who were critical to its adoption as the national anthem. The book consists of more than 200 entries written for high school and college students as well as for academic researchers. Vile, a professor of political science and dean of the university honors college at Middle Tennessee State University, with a preface by Joseph E. flag (as was once done, especially during the Vietnam War), athletes who say the nation is not living up to its ideals, especially with regard to police treatment of minorities, now often kneel during the playing of the national anthem. Although it is now relatively rare to see protesters burn the U.S. Perhaps because the flag and the anthem are such powerful symbols, they have had the power not only to unite but to serve as flashpoints for protests. President Herbert Hoover finally signed a law on March 3, 1931, to make Key’s song the official national anthem. flag, which had defiantly flown over Fort McHenry during the British bombardment.įor many years, it has been customary to play the national anthem at many sporting events, often as individuals put their hands over their hearts as they face an American flag. Well-known composer John Philip Sousa published his endorsement of Francis Scott Key’s soul-stirring lyrics, and a public campaign began to promote The Star-Spangled Banner. history when Americans were able to keep the British from capturing Baltimore, and of extolling the U.S. Although more difficult to sing than some of its competitors, it had the virtue both of encapsulating a key moment in U.S. Vile.Ĭongress did not declare “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which Francis Scott Key drafted in 1814, as the nation’s national anthem until 1931, but it had long been recognized as one of America’s most rousing patriotic songs. History, Culture, and Law (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2021), by John R. Who thinks about unity during a Civil War? New lyrics were added to reflect that war, but disunity was the watchword and the era became more attuned to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Dixie.America’s National Anthem: “The Star-Spangled Banner” in U.S. Key's poetic effort grew in popularity over the years, but sectarian interests hindered the drive for a national anthem. Though understated, the line 'I'll instruct you, like me to entwine The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine' is unambiguous," he wrote.įor the record, Venus is the goddess of love and Bacchus, the god of wine, and "entwine" is defined in any dictionary. "The words of 'To Anacreon in Heaven,' the song that Francis Scott Key borrowed for the melody of 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' is a sly 1700's paean to drinking and sex. But in his well-received book, historian Marc Ferris, author of "Star-Spangled Banner: The Unlikely Story of America's National Anthem" (Johns Hopkins University Press, August 2014) gives a more sophisticated reading. Most elementary school classes note that the music for "The Star-Spangled Banner" came from a British drinking song. Clements Library, University of Michigan One of the nation’s foremost experts on The Star-Spangled Banner is Mark Clague, associate professor of musicology at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. The flag that flew above Fort McHenry was made by. In 1929, House Resolution 14 was presented. The recording was included in the 2014 CD/DVD. The recording was produced by music coordinator Rickey Minor, along with Houston herself. The musical arrangement for Houston's rendition was by conductor John Clayton. In another example of American music sampling (which some simply call plagiarism), the melody for "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" is repurposed from the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen." 1814 first sheet music edition of The Star-Spangled Banner, arranged by Thomas Carr courtesy the William L. He watched as the British battled to take Fort McHenry, the fort that sits at the mouth of Baltimore Harbor. President Woodrow Wilson adopted the song as a de facto national anthem in 1916 but did not codify this ruling. Written by Francis Scott Key and John Stafford Smith, 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is the national anthem of the United States. Neither Key's early hymn nor the Barbary War is widely taught in American schools anymore (except for the reference in the Marines' Hymn: "To the shores of Tripoli").
