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Land of the Free? The Real Story Behind the Star-Spangled Banner
Manage episode 515165274 series 2600891
October 19, 1814. An eager audience files into the Holliday Street Theater in Baltimore, about to see a debut performance, described as a “much-admired new song.” The composer of this song, Francis Scott Key, had written the lyrics during a recent battle in Baltimore, trapped on a British ship as he watched the rockets red glare from afar. Key wasn’t a professional songwriter – a prominent lawyer in Washington D.C., he specialized in cases related to slavery, both defending enslaved people and slave catchers. But his real legacy became this song, entitled “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
How did Key come to watch the Battle of Baltimore play out from the deck of an enemy ship? And how did his relationship with race and slavery shape the song we now call our national anthem?
Special thanks to authors Marc Leepson and Tim Grove for sharing their voices and expertise for this episode.
** This episode originally aired October 19, 2020.
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288 episodes
Manage episode 515165274 series 2600891
October 19, 1814. An eager audience files into the Holliday Street Theater in Baltimore, about to see a debut performance, described as a “much-admired new song.” The composer of this song, Francis Scott Key, had written the lyrics during a recent battle in Baltimore, trapped on a British ship as he watched the rockets red glare from afar. Key wasn’t a professional songwriter – a prominent lawyer in Washington D.C., he specialized in cases related to slavery, both defending enslaved people and slave catchers. But his real legacy became this song, entitled “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
How did Key come to watch the Battle of Baltimore play out from the deck of an enemy ship? And how did his relationship with race and slavery shape the song we now call our national anthem?
Special thanks to authors Marc Leepson and Tim Grove for sharing their voices and expertise for this episode.
** This episode originally aired October 19, 2020.
--
Get in touch: [email protected]
Follow on Instagram: @historythisweek
Follow on Facebook: HISTORY This Week Podcast
To stay updated: http://historythisweekpodcast.com
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
288 episodes
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