It took 117 years for “The Star-Spangled Banner” to become the national anthem.

Many history buffs can explain how “The Star-Spangled Banner” was penned by Francis Scott Key after he witnessed the failed British bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry in 1814, and some may also know that the song became the U.S. national anthem in 1931. Lesser known are the details of the 117-year journey that shepherded its transformation from inspired poem to officially sanctioned emblem of American patriotism.

Originally printed under the title “Defence of Fort M’Henry” and set to the then-popular melody of “The Anacreontic Song,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” as it later became known, quickly struck a chord among the citizens of an expanding nation. Rewritten versions of the tune were created to publicize such causes as abolition, temperance, and women’s suffrage. Although it was disowned by the short-lived Confederacy, which adopted anthems such as “Farewell to the Star Spangled Banner,” Key’s song reemerged as a symbol of the enduring union in the aftermath of the Civil War. The U.S. Navy provided its imprimatur in 1889 by making “The Star-Spangled Banner” an official part of flag-raising ceremonies, and in 1904, the Army established the custom of having servicemen “stand at attention and uncover” as the song played.Shortly after President Woodrow Wilson ordered “The Star-Spangled Banner” to be performed at all military occasions in 1916, Representative John Linthicum of Maryland began a push to establish the song as the country’s national anthem.

A vocal minority opposed this designation, on grounds ranging from the ditty’s violent imagery and its roots as an alleged drinking song to its vocal complexities.

However, Linthicum eventually submitted a petition of more than 5 million signatures and letters from 25 governors to support his bill. After Congress voted in favor of the legislation, President Herbert Hoover delivered his signature on March 3, 1931, formally recognizing the song that had long served as the all-but-official anthem of the United States.

“’O’er the land of the freeeeeeee!’ everytime some chanteuse tries it at a Sports event.”

I cringe as the singer get closer to that phrase, just waiting to see if it’s going to happen.

My 13-year-old niece sings the Anthem before events at her school. She does it a capella, and pure.

This last July, I was in Washington DC to gather with some friends. On one of the days I was there, my family and I visited the Smithsonian National American History Museum.

One of the things that was there, that I had completely forgotten was there, was the flag the song speaks of.
It’s on the 2nd floor Of the museum. As you walk in from the entrance, there is a wavy bunch of silver strips representing a waving flag With the words ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ above it. As you enter the exhibit , it goes up a slight ramp into a darkened , black walled area... and there it is on your left, behind glass... THE Star Spangled Banner itself. The very flag that Francis Scott Key saw flying over Fort McHenry on that September morning, so long ago. For a flag that’s over 200 years old, it looks surprisingly good. When I caught sight of it, I have to admit that I choked up and teared up.
I was thinking about all that flag represented. How one brand-new country stood up against what was then the biggest empire in the world...and WON. TWICE.

As you walk through the exhibit, there are artifacts and writings from the time. There are also exhibits of how the flag was preserved and cared for through the years.

At the end of the exhibit Are several representations Of the poem and the song. There is a picture of the original writing of Mr. Key’s poem. And, there are several manuscripts and pieces of sheet music with the song. In the background, repeating on a loop, is a very well done spliced together audio of various versions of the song. The last section of the audio is of the late Whitney Houston, singing the Anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl, which many consider one of the best renditions of the Anthem ever done.

In all honesty, seeing that exhibit gave me hope that somehow, we’re going to make it through the garbage we’re going through right now.

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