Francis Scott Key

1779–1843

Witness to the bombardment and author of the lyric

Key observed the attack while detained aboard an American truce vessel after helping secure William Beanes’s release. The morning flag inspired his poem.

Why this record matters

Separating what Key could observe from what later imagery added makes the anthem’s origin more historically powerful, not less.

Read the connected story →Back to the people collection

Follow the evidence

Sources for this dossier

The Bombardment of Fort McHenryNational Park Service · battle study
Fort McHenry and Baltimore's harbor defenses.
The Star-Spangled BannerSmithsonian National Museum of American History · object record
Object history, dimensions, material, and conservation.