03 Sep 200 Years for the National Anthem

September 14 will mark the 200th anniversary of the US national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.” The song has a special connection for the United Brethren Church.

Francis Scott Key (right), who wrote the song, was a United Brethren member. He and a United Brethren preacher named John Snook organized a Sunday school in Keysville, Md. Key donated songbooks and led the singing. Snook and Key also went on evangelistic tours together, with Key handling the music.

Francis Scott Key, as most people know, penned the lyrics during the War of 1812 as he watched the British bombard Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Md. He was 35 years old when he wrote the four-stanza poem on September 14, 1814. It was published a few days later under the title “Defense of Fort M’Henry.”

“The Star Spangled Banner” became the national anthem by a Congressional resolution in 1931.