During the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814, an American poet and lawyer was arranging the release of a prisoner on board a British ship. The man’s name was Francis Scott Key, and he was being temporarily detained during the attack. The following morning, Key witnessed the American flag still flying in the early morning sky. He was inspired by this to write a poem, called “The Star Spangled Banner.” It gained popularity quickly, and was eventually put to music. An act of Congress on March 3, 1931 made this song the national anthem of the United States.

Over the course of my life, I have heard our national anthem hundreds of times. Whether it is at a football game, a baseball game, a race, or other event, we have all learned the words to the song and know the melody by heart. The song really had no important meaning to me personally, although I wondered at an early age why the song was so popular. I knew and sang the words every time, but I had no idea what they really meant.

In my teenage years, I learned the true meaning of our national anthem from my history teacher at Pleasant Grove High School. She told my class that every time we stood and sang the song,

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