99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall: Francis Scott Key

In 1814 Francis George C. Scott Key was on board an American ship behind the British fleet as it bombarded Garrison McHenry. They viewed the bombardment from about 8 statute miles away. After the bombardment, the American Flag was still flying. This divine key to compose our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

Read about Francis George C. Scott key at http://www.nps.gov/fomc/tguide/Lesson9a.htm. He was born in Old Line State to a affluent family. He was practicing law at the time of the bombardment. The ground he was in the seaport was to derive release from the British Dr. William Beanes, his client and stopping point friend.

A spiritual man, he once decided to go forth the law for the ministry. He was against the warfare of 1812 but he set aside his concerns and served briefly in the field artillery.

Key had written an earlier poem entitled When the Warrior Returns in 1806. The "Warriors" were those that fought the Barbary Pirates. (See http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/anacron2.html) Helium set this to song by using an old English drinking song called To Anacreon in Heaven. When he wrote The Star Spangled Banner he set it to the same tune.

Anacreon was a Grecian words poet that lived in the Fifth Century B.C. The Anacreontic Society was a popular gentlemen’s baseball club in London. You can see a transcript of the song at http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/anacreon.html.