![]() ![]() On one hand, he and his family owned slaves, and he defended the recapture of runaway slaves. Key provides plenty of conundrums when examining his stances on slavery. He was 63 when his family buried him in Maryland at Mount Olivet Cemetery. ![]() Key died of pleurisy on Januafter a full life and successful career. His brother-in-law then set the poem to music, and it became a patriotic song for Americans and later the National Anthem. He jotted down some notes of a poem as his heart swelled with patriotic pride, but the poem went unfinished until later that week when he finished it and titled it “Defense of Fort M’Henry”. The next morning, when Key awoke, he came up on the ship’s deck and looked across the shore to the fort and was astounded to see the American flag still flying high and proud. The battle seemed to doom the Americans, and Key had no choice but to retire for the night and wait and see what God would decide. Beanes’ release from the British, but the men were not granted release from the ship until the British attack was over.Īll Key, Skinner, and Beanes could do was wait for the battle to be over, but the cannons raged all night and rockets streaked through the sky. Key and Colonel John Skinner negotiated Dr. William Beanes, was captured by the British, and Key was called upon to use his lawyer charm to negotiate the doctor’s release. No, he wasn’t captured (that’s what I always thought!). ![]() If you know the story of the Star Spangled Banner, you probably remember that Key was on a British ship and not allowed to go anywhere while the battle was raging. In 1814, the British burnt Washington D.C., much to the national embarrassment of the Americans, and weeks later, they attacked Fort McHenry in Maryland. Francis Scott Key and the War of 1812īecause of Key’s religious beliefs, he did not agree with the War of 1812, but, just five years after his claim to fame in the treason case, Key served in the Georgetown Light Field Artillery against the British. He even wanted to pursue a career in the ministry but decided a law practice would support his family better ( NPS.gov ). Key was also “an advisor to Andrew Jackson and served as the District Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1833 to 1841” ( NPS.gov ).įUN FACT! Francis Scott Key was a devout Episcopalian and participated in several Episcopalian churches. Key got his claim to fame in 1807 when he defended Justus Eric Bollman and Samuel Swartwout in their case against a treason charge masterminded by Aaron Burr. Mary Tayloe “Polly” Lloyd and Francis lived in Georgetown, and Key supported their eleven children with his law practice. He went on to study law, and in 1802, he married the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner. His relatives fought on both sides of the American Revolution, practiced law, and held official positions in government.įrancis was homeschooled until age 10 when he spread his wings and traveled to Annapolis in 1789 where he “studied Latin, Greek, mathematics, grammar, and the sciences” at St. His family set a high standard for young “Frankie”, as they called him. His family was wealthy with slaves to work the plantation. When Was Francis Scott Key Born?įrancis Scott Key was born Augon a plantation in Frederick County, Maryland, just three years after America claimed independence from Britain. Want to read more? The Founding Fathers Waged War On Slavery. Historians of his time claim he was a freedom fighter and good man. Modern textbooks and websites claim he was a racist hypocrite. Author of the Star Spangled Banner, heroe of American history, and a man whose past is deeply wrought with controversies. ![]()
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