“’The Star-Spangled Banner’ and Slavery
Is the legacy of black slavery enshrined in a lesser-known stanza of the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”? Some historians say yes.”
http://www.snopes.com/2016/08/29/star-spangled-banner-and-slavery/
Did Francis S. Key write that stanza, or was that done later, like the 300 extra stanzas to “Mary Had A Little Lamb”?
This was obviously written in olden days, when a glimpse of stocking was shocking.
Mary had a bright red dress,
It was too short by half.
Who gives a damn for Mary’s lamb,
When you can see her calf?!
It does not "enshrine" slavery. It alludes obliquely to the fact that Hessian mercenaries ("hirelings") and escaped slaves who had been promised freedom in exchange for fighting against American independence ("slaves") would rue the day.
Regards,
Snopes? Really??