Francis Scott Key

Francis Scott Key. Frederick's Immortal Patriot. , The man Americans honor as the author of "The Star-Spangled Banner" began his life and career in Frederick County, Maryland. Here he first learned the American values that guided his life., Key was a child of the American Revolution, and saw his father go off to war. During the War of 18 12, Key served as an officer of the militia, and used his skills as an attorney to negotiate with the British on behalf of the United States., His life and career brought him into contact with many of the prominent political personalities of his time, and his opinions and oratory made a mark on the early history of the United States., Francis Scott Key is best known for his inspired account of the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814. Eighty-eight years after his death the American people prevailed upon Congress to declare his immortal song our national anthem.,

"Every word came warm from his heart, and for that reason, even more than for its poetical merit, it never fails to find a response in the hearts of those who listen to it." , - Roger Brook Taney, when the flag "… flings forth its folds , over the destitute and abandoned… , then are its stars a constellation of glory...." , - F.S. Key, 1842

[Timeline:] , 1779: Key is born August 9, 1779, at his father's estate, Terra Rubra, in what was then Frederick County., 1801: After graduating from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, Key begins his law practice here in Frederick., 1802: Key marries Mary Tayloe Lloyd in Annapolis, Maryland., 1803: Key and his wife move to the Washington, D.C., suburb of Georgetown where he would eventually argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court., 1814: On September 13, Key boards a British flagship in Baltimore harbor to secure the release of an American prisoner, and witnesses the bombardment of Fort McHenry. That night and the following day he writes "The Star-Spangled Banner." It became a popular patriotic song immediately., 1843: Francis Scott key dies at the home of his daughter in Baltimore on January 11, 1843., 1916: President Woodrow Wilson signs an Executive Order requiring all U.S. military bands to play "The Star-Spangled Banner" at official ceremonies., 1931: President Herbert Hoover signs a Congressional Resolution establishing the "The Star Spangled Banner" as the national anthem of the United States., [Sidebar:] , Francis Scott Key often walked the streets of Frederick, especially during early years of his law career. Today you can walk or drive to historic sites that recall Key's emergence as a man who embodied the American spirit., ❶ Courthouse Square , Frederick City Hall now stands on the site of the old Frederick County Courthouse where Key and Roger Brooke Taney argued cases as young lawyers. Key's law office, no longer standing, was nearby., ❷ Trinity Chapel , It is likely that Key was baptized here., ❸ Museum of Frederick County History , Francis Scott Key is the focus of changing exhibits, public programs and library research by patrons at this museum operated by the Historical Society of Frederick County., ❹ Francis Scott Key Hotel , Built in 1923, this five-story Frederick landmark served travelers on the old National Road. Today it's a converted apartment complex. In the lobby you can see a mural depicting Key's sighting of the flag at Fort McHenry., ❺ Roger Brooke Taney House , Key and Taney became friends when they were college students in Annapolis. Taney married Key's sister, Anne. The house, once owned by Taney, was built c. 1790 and features exhibits and a slave quarters., ❻ Frederick Visitor Center , This facility offers personal assistance to visitors to Frederick County, as well as exhibits, brochures, and a theater presentation., ❼ Historic Frederick Barracks , As a youth, Key would surely have visited the barracks with his father. John Ross Key, an official in the Revolutionary War. One of the oldest remaining U.S. military structures (1778), the barracks is preserved on the campus of the renowned Maryland School for the Deaf., ❽ Key Monument and Grave , After a massive fundraising effort which included local citizens and school children from around the country, the Key Monument Association erected this memorial in 1898. Key and his wife Mary are buried in a sealed crypt beneath the monument., ❾ Key Memorial Chapel , Originally built in 1911, this stone chapel is visible to your left. It was christened in Key's honor in June 1998, and is available for family and civic events., ❿ Harry Grove Stadium , When the national anthem is played before each game, you can hear it here at Francis Scott Key's grave. The stadium is the house of the Frederick Keys, a professional minor league baseball game., Key's uniquely American story begins and ends in Frederick, but partner historic sites and museums preserve treasured artifacts and structures associated with the man, the flag, and the anthem., Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine , Baltimore, MD , The flagpole inside the historic star fort is in the same location where the original Star-Spangled Banner flew in September 1814. Francis Scott Key's experience during the battle of Baltimore is interpreted through interactive exhibits, ranger-led programs, and an award-winning film., Star-Spangled Banner Flag House , Baltimore, MD , The Flag House is the home of Mary Pickersgill, the woman who sewed the huge flag Key saw flying over Fort McHenry. Visitors learn how the 1814 flag was made, browse exhibits, and see a fragment of the original flag., Maryland Historical Society , Baltimore, MD , Key's handwritten manuscript of the "The Star-Spangled Banner" is displayed here, along with portraits of Key, and thousands of artifacts, documents, and art interpreting Maryland and United States history., National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, , Washington, D.C. , The original flag that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired Key's song is displayed here. It is one of the nation's most revered artifacts., Terra Rubra Farm , Keysville, MD , Key's birthplace and childhood home was established in the 1770s by his grandfather, Francis Key. A monument erected in 1915 marks the site. The current house dates to the mid-1800s. , Not open to the public.