THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

Here are related Facts about Star Spangled Banner:

“The Star-Spangled Banner,” inspired by Francis Scott Key’s 1814 poem, commemorates the American flag surviving a British bombardment at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812; the massive 15-star, 15-stripe flag sewn by Mary Pickersgill inspired Key’s words, which became the national anthem in 1931, but the song’s fourth verse reflects a complex history, including Key’s ownership of slaves, despite its patriotic themes. 

The Flag & Its Creation

• Commissioned: Major George Armistead ordered a huge flag for Fort McHenry so the British could see it from afar.
• Maker: Mary Pickersgill and her team sewed the 30×42 foot flag in Baltimore.
• Design: It featured 15 stars and 15 stripes, representing all states then in the Union. 

The Inspiration & Poem

• Event: On September 14, 1814, Key witnessed the flag still flying after the British bombardment, signifying American victory.
• Poem: He wrote “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” later renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
• Tune: The lyrics were set to a popular English tune, “To Anacreon in Heaven”. 

The Anthem & Legacy

• Preservation: The original flag is preserved and displayed at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
• Complex History: While celebrating patriotism, the anthem also reflects the era’s complexities, as Francis Scott Key, the author, was a slave owner, notes History.com.