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"The Star-Spangled Banner" is known by all, treasured for its powerful melody and stirring lyrics. And yet, only about 40% of U.S. citizens know all the words. And even fewer know their meaning. Join us as we travel back to 1814, when Washington D.C. was under British attack during the "Second War of Independence," and the very bricks and mortar of American democracy were reduced to smoking rubble. We examine the battle that inspired witness Francis Scott Key to immortalize its final moments, then reveal how his poem transformed into an anthem.
Molly Hermann
Molly Hermann

Narrator (voice)

Self - National Anthem Performer

Self - Voice Student

Self - Curator

Francis Scott Key

Dolly Madison

James Madison

George Armistead

William Beanes

Mary Pickersgill